It was absolutely gut-wrenching for Tommy Fleetwood once again at The Travelers as he let his three shot lead slip to lose out to Keegan Bradley on the last.
Fleetwood couldn’t convert on 18 despite finding the fairway. He left his approach short, allowing the door to open for Bradley and The American made absolutely no mistake.
Bradley played a simply stunning approach to within five feet and after Fleetwood gave him the line after his initial putt landed short, the Ryder Cup captain was never going to miss.
For Fleetwood, it means the wait to win on the PGA Tour continues and this one will very much sting for a while.
However, in terms of getting some credit at a time when players and media duties are hot topics, Fleetwood plucked up the courage to speak and was complimentary of Bradley in doing so.
Tommy Fleetwood comments on Keegan Bradley after seeing him win The Travelers
Tommy Fleetwood has always been a man of class but to come out speaking after such a gut-wrenching loss here deserves huge credit.
The Englishman fronted right up to the press afterwards and despite his disappointment, he was admirable in defeat as expected.
“Pretty gutted right now. A couple of wrong clubs down the last couple. I felt like after the start I didn’t putt great today. I putted really well all week and I just feel like there was a stretch in the back nine where I felt like that was my time to take control. I left it in the jaws on 12 when I was playing really well. 14 was a bit of a weak putt,” Fleetwood commented.
“Club out on 16, that was a tough up and down. And then on 18, especially after flushing a drive, I was feeling really good. We got that one wrong and that long putt I left in the worst possible spot. I was right in front of Keegan’s ball. Not the best putt there either. So things to work on there. I have not been in that situation for a long time, felt like I did a good job for the most part but probably the worst way to finish, leading by two with three to play and one going down the last and don’t even make it to a play off.
“It was the worst way it could go but Keegan did great down that closing stretch. He holed the putts, hit great shots. Gutted, really. We will just go home and start practicing again. The tournaments start again in a bit.”
Fleetwood’s shot on 18 will live long in his memory, and he appeared to change clubs too just before hitting it.
Right now, he’ll be looking back and wondering what he’s done, albeit, Bradley does deserve praise for chasing him down and executing under pressure.
Tommy Fleetwood shares details of caddy conversation on the 18th fairway
Golf is such a hard game at the best of times but eyeing up an iron shot on 18 with your first ever win on the line makes things even worse.
Indeed, after a lengthy chat with his caddy, Fleetwood revealed that it was the conditions and wind which were causing issues.
“I could not get a track of the wind. You have a bit of adrenaline. And just got the wind wrong. It was in off the left, then it felt like it did, then it felt like it goes off the left,” Fleetwood admitted.
“In between two shots and I just picked the wrong one. It spun up a bit against the wind but went nowhere. On another day, I was kind of feeling like this was my moment to hole a long one, I had seen people do it recently but did the opposite. I three putted it. So you have left yourself in that situation, 50 feet, it’s not a guaranteed two putt.”
There will be a time when Fleetwood does win and he might well be in the mix at The Open in a few weeks.
But right now, he’ll simply be devastated and wonder if that elusive win is ever going to come.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
