Can Tommy Fleetwood Finally Break His PGA Tour Drought?

A big tournament wraps up Sunday, and Tommy Fleetwood begins the day in the driver’s seat.

That means most golf fans are attempting to figure out when his round will crash.

It’s no accident that people expect Fleetwood to be the bridesmaid. He doesn’t have a single victory in 15 years on the PGA Tour.

He has contended in majors but hasn’t been able to accelerate to victory. Fleetwood has finished in the top five on seven occasions, including solo seconds in the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Open Championship.

He’s like that horse that runs the time of his life only to see that Secretariat is also in the field.

Fleetwood is the Buffalo Bills of golf.

Fleetwood has another chance to change the narrative Sunday. He holds a three-stroke lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis with 18 holes to play.

“It’s just another opportunity for me to go out and try and have the best round of golf I can, enjoy being in that position,” Fleetwood said after Saturday’s round. “The more I put myself there, the more chance there is of it happening.”

Fleetwood, 34, opened the tournament with sizzling rounds of 63 and 64 before dropping to 69 on Saturday. But that 14-under 196 still looks mighty good.

Fleetwood sits one shot ahead of fellow Englishman Justin Rose. But the guy lurking two shots behind in third is the most dangerous on any golf course in America – Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler shot 65 in the third round and has proven to be a tough out on Sundays.

Fleetwood? Not so much. But he’s not hiding from the pain.

“Yeah, it hurts when it doesn’t happen for you and that sort of streak, if you like, and people talk about it more and more, that goes on,” Fleetwood said. “Obviously it’s not my favorite time, like walking off the 18th at that point.”

Walking off the course in Cromwell, Conn., in June was not the least bit of fun.

Fleetwood was terrific in the first three rounds with scores of 66, 65 and 63, and took a three-shot lead into the final round.

Three bogeys over the first four holes – he birdied the other – was not a good omen.

At the finish, there were two bogeys over the final three holes, including a disastrous missed par putt on 18 as he finished with a 72.

Next thing Fleetwood knew, Keegan Bradley, who birdied 18, was celebrating a victory.

So there he was Saturday in Memphis, knowing there’s no way to hush the “can’t win” chatter until he’s the one in the lead after 72 holes.

“I came very close,” Fleetwood said of the Travelers. “I led the tournament for such a long time and it didn’t happen, and I said then, yeah, there’s an element to me, sort of it’s taken me a long time to win out here, and I still haven’t done it.

“But best possible scenario at that Travelers straight away was, ‘Can I put myself in that position again sooner rather than later?’”

Fleetwood has accomplished that with good play over 54 holes. Now comes the big test.

Rose has plenty of experience in pressure situations, and Scheffler seems as calm as can be when the heat is on.

Perhaps Fleetwood can look at one of the golfers tied for fourth for inspiration. That would be J.J. Spaun, who had a massive career breakthrough by sinking one of the most amazing long putts in the history of the sport to win the U.S. Open at Oakmont in June.

It might finally be Fleetwood’s turn. Or it might be just another close call. Either way, he appreciates having another chance.

“As I say, I just look forward to the opportunities and continue to give myself a chance in chasing my dreams,” Fleetwood said. “And whether they happen or not tomorrow or the next week or the week after, that’s another story. But I’m looking forward to it nonetheless.”

He’ll also have many people pulling for him to enjoy a dream ending while avoiding another nightmare.