Tommy Fleetwood

Fleetwood was never in contention today but will certainly make his final result and paycheck look better with today's round. "I was just looking to try and put the best score I possibly could. You don't know what the conditions are going to bring or what the weather is going to bring, but I was pretty conscious of trying to shoot the lowest score I possibly could. Never really felt in contention." Fleetwood lapped the field in strokes gained tee-to-green today (+6.3) with the next closest at 4.14 SG:T2G. The Englishman now has six top 5s in majors but remains on the hunt for his first win on the PGA TOUR. 

The Englishman traded 25 birdies with seven bogeys this week at Oakdale Golf & Country Club. Steady driving was the catalyst as he ranked 5th in the field in strokes gained off-the-tee but really capitalized on the greens as he led the field in putting. "I just have to keep practicing, keep playing. I was really pleased with how I played over the weekend. I played great today, even though I missed some chances, if you like, on those playoff holes. Yeah, it was close. I just have to take the positives from it and start practicing tomorrow. I got a major next week. So can't dwell on it too much."  Fleetwood now has eight career podiums on the PGA TOUR but still searching for his first win on the big stage. 

Fleetwood opened with fireworks this week at Quail Hollow, leading after his round-one 65. He backpedaled slowly with rounds of 71-67-70 to keep his name in the hunt but never truly find himself in a position to win from Friday through Sunday. This will be his third top 5 of the season and fifth straight top-33 finish in stroke-play events. "Overall so far this year my game is trending so well, and I have to make sure that I keep reminding myself of that and sort of get out there and let it happen." 

The Englishman scrambled his way through the first third of the course today. He missed the green on three of his opening six holes, didn't drop any shots,and then missed just two GIR from that point forward. "Didn't do anything particularly wrong. I didn't drive it great on the back nine, but I was never like out of position that much, never really hit myself in difficult spots. For the most part that was really good and quite stress free." Fleetwood finished T61 at the 2017 PGA Championship and missed the cut at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. He improved with a T14 in his most recent visit to Quail Hollow Club (2021 Wells Fargo Championship) and now he's building on that performance with 54 holes remaining. This will be his third career first-round lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR with the previous two both coming at TPC Sawgrass (T5/2019 PLAYERS; T22/2022 PLAYERS).