Fleetwood wins as McIlroy turns thoughts to Europe
Tommy Fleetwood enjoyed his first PGA Tour win
Rory McIlroy finished near the back of the field in the Tour Championship and turned his thoughts to winning a seventh Race to Dubai title.
As Tommy Fleetwood broke his PGA Tour duck, carding a two under 68 to win the title and the $10m FedEx Cup by two shots from Russell Henley and Patrick Cantlay on 16 under, the Holywood star battled a cold putter all week.
He birdied his last two holes to close with a level par 70 and finish 23rd at East Lake and immediately targeted the Amgen Irish Open and the BMW PGA.
“Those are two big weeks for me to try extend my lead in the race to Dubai,” said McIlroy, who needs two more to match Colin Montgomerie. “That’s become a pretty important thing for me. It’s chasing a little bit of history there.
“I want to put my head down and play well those couple weeks; two home tournaments for me, Ireland being my national open and we live pretty much on the course at Wentworth.
“So a big couple of weeks just to try to play well, but also sharpen up different aspects of the game going into the Ryder Cup.”
Fleetwood, who had suffered two heartbreaking losses already this season, had yet to win when McIlroy was speaking but his words held true.
“I think it shows how great of an attitude he has towards the game, how resilient he is,” McIlroy said. “Look, everyone knows it's -- if he gets it done today, that would be amazing. I think we'd all love him to.“
With Scottie Scheffler (tied fourth with Corey Conners and Cam Young after a 69) driving out of bounds at the first and Cantlay starting bogey, double-bogey, Fleetwood turned in two under, then made back to back birdies at the 12th and 13th to build a three shot lead.
He even admitted to battling swing doubts and scar tissue as he took on the peninsula green par-three 15th, where he slipped just over the green but did little damage with a bogey.
Summing up the mental game afterwards, he said: “Like I say, always speak to yourself in the right way, always try and do the right things. Feelings are feelings; the golf ball doesn't know any different. Just try and put a good swing on it.”
A popular winner, Fleetwood explained afterwards that he gives his children the same advice his father gave him.
“My dad always told me that, even when I was a young, aspiring amateur golfer, professional golfer, he always wanted me to be -- he always said person first, golfer second. You're a good person first. Whatever happens after that, you try to be a good golfer second. I've always tried to be that.”
A sense of humour didn’t hurt.
“Well, it's a shame that the story is gone,” he joked of his long-awaited US victory. “I enjoyed it while it lasted in a sick way.”
Shane Lowry completed an excellent PGA Tour campaign in a tie for 13th on 10-under after a 69 having learned before going out that he'll need a Ryder Cup wildcard
McIlroy topped the six automatic qualifiers for Luke Donald’s European team from Robert MacIntyre, Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton
Who will join them in New York remains to be seen after Højgaard claimed the final automatic spot in the side when he tied for 13th at the Betfred British Masters behind Sweden’s Alex Noren.
Noren shot 67 to win by a shot on 16-under from Hojgaard’s twin brother Nicolai and Japan’s Kazuma Kobori at The Belfry.
Lowry, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick and Matt Wallace are the next six in the final standings and it’s more than likely that at least one of them will lose out to Spain’s Jon Rahm when Donald announces his six picks on September 1.
How recent results, and this week’s Omega European Masters, affect his thinking remains to be seen, but Noren believes he’s on the outside looking in, even after ending a seven-year wait for his 11th DP World Tour title.
As overnight leader Fitzpatrick slipped to sixth after a 74, Noren made a six-footer for bogey at the 18th to win by a shot from Kobori and 2023 Ryder Cup star Nicolai Højgaard, who could still join his twin brother at Bethpage.
“It's probably the biggest goal we have together,” Rasmus said. “I think if it would happen this year, it would be amazing. But I'm sure we'll both fight to be able to do it another time if it didn't happen.”
Donald and his vice-captains know big hitting will be key in New York, which may stand against Fitzpatrick and help the case of players like Nicolai Hojgaard or the in-form Marco Penge, who tied for sixth at The Belfry.
In welcoming Rasmus to the side, Donald did not sound averse to rookies.
“Rookies can bring an energy and excitement that inspires even the most experienced players,” Donald said.
In the LET’s Hills Open, Swedish amateur Meja Ortengren (20) shot a one-under 70 to claim her maiden win by two shots from compatriot Lisa Petterson and Germany’s Leonie Harm.
Canice Screene tied for 41st on seven over after a 72 while on the HotelPlanner Tour, Filippo Celli claimed The Dutch Futures and his maiden title at The Dutch in Spijk, where Max Kennedy was the best of the Irish, tied for 23rd on five under after a 68.
Leona Maguire, meanwhile, tied for 20th, 11 strokes behind home favourite Brooke Henderson, in the CPKC Women’s Open in Ontario.
Maguire shot a brace of one over 72s at the weekend as Henderson went 65-67 to win by a shot from Minjee Lee on 15-under.
