Tommy Fleetwood's Time Will Come And it Could Be This Week

View From The Fairway by Derek Clements

Yet again the social media trolls have had a field day at Tommy Fleetwood’s expense, describing him as a choker - and a whole lot worse besides. 

They do so from a place of anonymity, individuals who do not have the faintest idea how difficult it is to win any professional golf tournament, far less a FedEx Cup playoff event, competing against the best golfers on the planet.

In case you missed it, at the recent FedEx St Jude Championship, Fleetwood lost a 54-hole lead, got himself back in front during the final round but saw his hopes of victory disappear with a bogey at the penultimate hole. 

And in the days since, we have seen more shocking examples of the way that morons can impact sport and the people who play it.

Liverpool faced Bournemouth in the first game of the 2025-26 Premier League football season. It was a game that should have been all about remembering the late Diogo Jota and celebrating the return of a new season. Instead, the headlines were all about a so-called football fan racially abusing Antoine Semenya. 

And then there was Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre having to contend with loud-mouthed members of the gallery during the third round of the BMW Championship. Thankfully, the Scot is a strong character and gave as good as he got, but week after week players are subjected to unacceptable behaviour from fans, many of whom have clearly had too much to drink.

Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, also accused fans at last month’s Open Championship of overstepping the boundaries of what he considered to be acceptable behaviour.

It goes without saying that Fleetwood was devastated after his loss at the FedEx St Jude. Nevertheless, he still faced the media. And, crucially, he keeps putting himself in position to win.

He has picked up trophies at the highest level on the DP World Tour. He has contended in majors. And he has proved at the Ryder Cup that he can cope with the greatest pressure this sport can throw at any individual.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

When he lost the 2023 Canadian Open it was because Nick Taylor holed the most outrageous putt in the playoff. 

He made a poor club choice at the final hole to lose the Travelers Championship to Keegan Bradley. He went into the final round of the FedEx St Jude with the lead but quickly fell back after a poor start.

Rather than tumbling down the leaderboard, Fleetwood kept plugging away and actually regained the lead before falling short - that is not the play of a choker.

This is what he had to say: "You know, we move on. There’s another week that’s next and I’ve just got to reflect on today and obviously keep pushing forward and try and put myself in that position again.

"I would way rather be there and fail than not be there at all. I just look forward to the opportunities, giving myself a chance, chasing my dreams. Whether they happen or not - that’s another story. But I look forward to it nonetheless."

The reality is that heading into the BMW Championship, Fleetwood had started 162 PGA Tour events without a win. But it is a measure of the man that he not only keeps coming back for more but that he keeps putting himself in a position to win. There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that he will win in America. I also believe he will land a major.

It is a fact that no matter how good you are, professional golfers lose far more often than they win. It takes a special talent to contend week in, week out - and that is something that Fleetwood has done throughout his career. 

Sadly, he will almost certainly be aware of the fact that the trolls brand him as a choker, somebody who is unable to close the deal. But he is a strong character with a terrific support network around him and I believe that the criticism will simply make him a better golfer, somebody who is more likely to win that elusive title.

After Rory McIlroy, he will be the player that Luke Donald looks to at Bethpage. If he does not play all five matches I will be astonished - and chokers are not asked or expected to play all five games. 

Of course he is not the first golfer to find it difficult to cross the line in the USA.

Colin Montgomerie won the European Tour’s Order of Merit on a record eight occasions. He went painfully close in both the US Open and the US PGA Championship but was never able to win on the other side of the Pond until he turned 50.

There was no social media back then but the American galleries used to love baiting him - and did so time and time again. It got so bad at the 1999 Ryder Cup that his father walked off the course and Payne Stewart even conceded his singles match to the Scot, so horrified was he at the behaviour of the crowd. 

Monty used to rise to it and was his own worst enemy. Fleetwood is a totally different character. At both the Travelers and the FdEx St Jude, it was noticeable that most of the American fans were rooting for him.

He consistently takes everything that this sport throws at him and rises above it. I love the way he faces the media after gut-wrenching losses. 

There are those who accuse him of not being hungry enough, claiming he doesn’t possesses that crucial will to win. That is patently nonsense. Trust me when I tell you that Tommy Fleetwood hates to lose. He is a thoroughly decent man and his time WILL come.