When it comes to the heartbreaking moments in the history of golf, there is one name that has witnessed most of them. The English professional, Tommy Fleetwood, with his exceptional career performance, has been close to victory, but was never close enough to have it. However, these close finishes have started to become a pattern, which can hinder the golfer on his journey to a PGA Tour title. Addressing that concern, Fleetwood has a PGA Tour legend on his side with some crucial advice from his very own experience.
Recently, on the SubPar Podcast, the panelists Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz were joined by Hal Sutton. The 67-year-old has 14 PGA Tour wins, including the 1983 PGA Championship. Well, with his great wins, the exceptional performance to defeat Tiger Woods at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2000 is still one of the most memorable. With his comeback journey being most admired, the panelist asked him to share what he did do and share advice for players who are going through the same.
He shared, “I won six more times in the next three or four years, but that wasn’t enough to make everybody happy, and you know I got to where I played golf to make me happy to begin with, and now all of a sudden I’m reading how I’m disappointing everybody else in the world.” The golfer, with his love of golf, struggled with performance from 1987 to 1994. After his win at the Memorial Tournament in 1986, he struggled not just to win but also to retain his PGA Tour card. But later in the 90s, when he had the aim of showcasing the best golfer version to his daughter and get back to his original game, he found a new goal to prove. Sutton then started to make fewer changes in his swings to improve and just be the normal version. That helped him improve his performance and in 1995 he endrd his victor-less drought. In fact, he added 7 more victories, despite being at the lowest point of his career. Now, with Tommy Fleetwood experiencing a similar feat, he knows what could help him change his mentality.
Later, he talked about Tommy Fleetwood, saying, “I’m a big Tommy Fleetwood fan, and I hope Tommy Fleetwood is listening because he’s trying not to lose instead of trying to win. And I mean that was obvious on Friday and Saturday, where he didn’t want to hit it in the water, so he hit it way right. And you know you can’t do that.” The English professional with 162 participations on the PGA Tour has 6 runner-up finishes. But what’s more shocking is that he fell short of the win either due to his last round performance slump or the struggle on the final hole. This year, Fleetwood, with his defensive approach to play, has given away the lead twice. First at the Travelers Championship, he was leading with 3 strokes after the third round, but two bogeys in the final three rounds handed over the win to Keegan Bradley. Even at the St. Jude Championship, where he entered the final round with a stroke lead vanished after his par-bogey-par score in the final three. With the crucial advice from the legendary golfer, Fleetwood will have to change his defensive mindset to a more win-focused approach.
Despite his 15-year-long journey as a professional without a victory, he is still keeping his head up and confidence flowing. After the heartbreaking loss at the St. Jude Championship, he shared a positive message for the fans, hinting at his victory aim.
Tommy Fleetwood is still focused on his goal
The 34-year-old, with his performance this year, has been close to a trophy. He recorded multiple top-5 and top-10 finishes, including his T2 at the Travelers Championship. However, at the St. Jude Championship, he was leading till the third round, and it felt like the long drought for the win would end. But unfortunately, his performance slumped, with a bogey on the 17th and a par on the 18th, which led to a third-place finish.
The dream that was so close to being completed was still far, with just a stroke difference. However, the golfer with the heartbreak turned the frustration into fuel. The next morning after losing, he shared a post hinting at his strong mindset. He wrote, “With every disappointment, I truly know I’m closer and closer and even more determined than ever that I will get this done. The support I’ve received is invaluable and hugely appreciated. We’ll get there together!” The hunt for a PGA Tour win continues as he records his 43rd top-10 finish without a win. With the heartbreaking losses, he is creating a record that he would not want to extend further.
Well, now with his performance improving and regular top-5 finishes, it seems like a win is around the corner for the Englishman. What are your thoughts on it? Share with us in the comments below.
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