Tommy Fleetwood endured more final round heartbreak as he missed a playoff won by Justin Rose by one shot at the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Fleetwood shot a one-under par 69 to close out the tournament at -15 overall, one shy of Rose and playoff rival J.J. Spaun, who both charged home to set up a thrilling sudden death showdown.
Rose’s birdie at the third playoff hole clinched his 12th PGA Tour title after the 45-year-old came from the clouds, making four straight birdies from holes 14 to 17 to match Spaun at -16 with a round of 67.
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The pair had both lost to Rory McIlroy in separate playoffs earlier this year – Rose at The Masters and Spaun at The Players – and they put on a shot-making show, trading birdies at the second playoff hole.
US Open champion Spaun stuck it closer to the relocated hole on their third trip down the 18th, but it was a case of first in the cup wins as the American was unable to match his likely Ryder Cup rival by draining the birdie putt.
Rose prevails in WILD St. Jude playoff | 03:46
“Yeah, that was an amazing last 90 minutes really,” Rose said.
“Seemed to be the way it got this week. When I got myself a few back, something good would happen. Never stopped believing.
“The 6-iron I hit into 14 was a clutch shot; back right pin, had to hit the perfect golf shot in there. That set up the birdie that I needed just to give myself a chance.
“Played unbelievable golf coming down the stretch. I had so much fun with it.
“18 was playing perfectly for me today. If I pulled it, I carried it, if I held it up — I hit a couple good putts in regulation and in the first playoff hole as well. Obviously J.J. dropped a bomb on me, I topped him. It was a lot of fun today.
“That’s why I practice. That’s why I play. I’ve been saying for some time now, obviously Augusta, when I bring my best, I know I’m good enough to play and to compete, and to now win against the best players in the world.
“Very gratifying day for me and a lot of hard work coming to fruition.”
Justin Rose celebrates after winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship in a playoff against J.J. Spaun.Source: FOX SPORTS
In regulation, Spaun outduelled Scottie Scheffler, who finished in a share of third alongside Fleetwood, in the group in front of good friends and Englishmen Rose and Fleetwood, shooting a 65 including birdies at 16 and 17 that jumped him to the top of the leaderboard.
Fleetwood agonisingly remains winless despite 29 top-five finishes on the PGA Tour, 11 more than any other player without a win in the last 40 years (Brett Quigley, 18), and 43 top-tens.
He is also still the only player to have earned more than US$30 million in prize money on the primary US Tour without having won a title.
Fleetwood’s latest heartbreaker comes less than two months after he bogeyed the last hole as Keegan Bradley made birdie to win the Travelers Championship by a shot.
“I don’t know,” Fleetwood said when asked to describe his emotions in a post-round interview with broadcaster NBC Sports.
Tommy Fleetwood speaks to NBC Sports after another brutal end to a PGA Tour event.Source: FOX SPORTS
“Did a lot of good things today in the end again.
“I’m getting close. That’s the good sign of it. I’m getting really close.
“Again on that back nine, managed to get myself ahead.
“Played some really good golf. Putted really well.
“Obviously Justin and J.J. have done great there and I just didn’t quite do enough.
“It got to those last three holes. Par 5 16th and bogey on 17th.
“I don’t know. I’m obviously disappointed.
“When you reflect, look at the positives, I was right in there with a chance.
“It’s hard, right? It’s hard to win. There’s so many good players and I was next to somebody who played unbelievable golf down the stretch there, and just didn’t get it done.”
The 34-year-old, who has won ten times around the world, held a far from comfortable one-shot lead after 54 holes, but appeared as if he may rectify his American hoodoo on the back nine in the final round.
Fleetwood started shakily with a bogey at the first after hitting his opening tee shot into a fairway bunker.
A run of ten straight pars followed before he made his move with three birdies in four holes from the 12th to the 15th.
Across the closing stretch, thing went pear-shaped, however.
He scrambled to save par at the par 5 16th after taking relief from a grandstand, chipping his third shot across the front of the green.
A bogey at the 17th then cost Fleetwood a playoff place, timidly missing a putt from a little more than two metres.
He walked off, knowing it was a bad putt almost instantly after the putter face struck the ball.
‘The worst stroke we’ve seen…’ | 00:18
World No.1 Scheffler posted a three-under par final round 67 to finish one shot back of the playoff.
Scheffler had to adapt on the run ahead of the final round as his caddie Ted Scott headed home to attend to a family matter.
Brad Payne, a chaplain who travels every week on the PGA Tour, stepped in to assist Scheffler, but it was not for the first time.
Payne did so across the weekend at last year’s PGA Championship as after Scheffler’s infamous arrest, Scott departed to be at his daughter’s graduation.
The change did not seem to bother Scheffler despite being unable to mount a serious run at the title.
His share of third extended his incredible form line.
Scheffler has finished tied eighth or better in his last 12 starts, including having won four times in that stretch.
Kurt Kityama (38th), Bud Cauley (46th), Rickie Fowler (48th), Jhonattan Vegas (49th) and J.T. Poston (50th) all played their way into a tee time for next week’s BMW Championship with impressive displays jumping them into the top 50.
They replaced rookie Aldrich Potgieter (51st), Jordan Spieth (53rd), Jake Knapp (55th), Wyndham Clark (56th) and Australia’s Min Woo Lee (57th).
Lee started the week on the bubble in 50th in the standings, but rounds of 76, 72, 72 and 70 left him in a share of last place at +10.
With his season over, Lee was eager to get away from the golf course as quickly as possible in the final round.
Playing alone, as Rory McIlroy’s absence meant there were 69 players in the field, the 27-year-old was first out and raced around TPC Southwind in just two hours and ten minutes.
The speedy round was Lee’s best of the week, shooting an even par 70.
Fellow Australian Cam Davis’ season is also done.
The 30-year-old finished in a tie for 50th at even par overall following rounds of 69, 72, 67 and 72.
Davis needed a big week to crack into the top 50 and he was the best of the Australians, but in the end he stayed at 69th in the standings.
Jason Day will be the only Australian left standing in the penultimate event of the season.
The 37-year-old former world No.1 finished in a share of 56th at +2 for the tournament after rounds of 71, 68, 71 and 72.
The underwhelming week harmed Day’s chances of being in the top 30 that qualify for the Tour Championship.
He started the playoffs in 37th place, but dropped down to 44th.
