Tommy Fleetwood has one of the more surprising records on the PGA Tour – one of the world’s best still searching for his first win. Now, he heads into the final round of the Travelers Championship with a chance to put that right.
The Englishman holds a three-shot lead over Russell Henley and Keegan Bradley, setting up another chance to answer the one question that often follows him around: why hasn’t he gotten over the line yet in the United States?
After sharing the halfway lead, Fleetwood found himself in the penultimate group on Saturday, with the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas also in the mix. But Fleetwood was the one who took control, carding a 65 to move three clear at the top.
At TPC River Highlands, low scores are always possible, so no lead is safe. Even so, Fleetwood’s cushion puts him in the driving seat heading into Sunday.
Brandel Chamblee suggests what has held Tommy Fleetwood back on the PGA Tour
Brandel Chamblee has often pointed to one element of Fleetwood’s game that he believes has held him back. But this week, it may not matter.
Speaking on the Golf Channel, Chamblee said: “If you talk about what he’s been doing well this year, every aspect of his game is marvellous. And when you add it all up, there’s only six players strokes gained total who are better on the PGA Tour.”
“He really has no real weaknesses other than, I would say, he’s not dominant in terms of distance off the tee. And to whatever degree he’s been held back, and I would say that this is what has held him back, is his clubhead speed has decayed in an era when everybody’s trying to get longer and trying to get faster.”
“His clubhead speed is now just shy of 115 miles an hour. That’s 125th on the tour. He’s 135th in driving distance, which makes it harder for him to beat up the par fives.”
“But when you come to a golf course like this, which is sneaky hard when you miss the fairways, not particularly difficult as it relates to par fives, just two of them and everybody in the field can get there in two, he’s leading the field in driving accuracy, he’s 69th out of 70th in driving distance, I’m not saying he’s short, but relative to those who are getting the lion’s share of victories at the top, he does give up a lot of horsepower, but it’s not hurting him here.”
Tommy Fleetwood’s underrated season would be in the spotlight with a win at the Travelers Championship
Fleetwood’s current season may not have grabbed headlines, but he’s quietly putting together one of his most consistent years yet. Despite not winning, he sits 16th in the FedEx Cup standings, with four top-10 finishes, three of them in signature events.
His only missed cut came at the US Open, where, even then, he wasn’t far off from making the weekend.
Victory at the Travelers would not just be a breakthrough moment in terms of picking up the trophy, it would also see Fleetwood rise into the top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings.
And with the Open Championship returning to Royal Portrush next month – where Fleetwood finished runner-up the last time it was held there – it could be the perfect way to build some timely momentum.
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