Memphis, Tenn. – Tommy Fleetwood made a three-shot swing against him on a two-shot swing on Saturday’s final hole of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He still filmed a 1-under 69 and won his first PGA Tour title to lead Justin Rose one-shot.
If that’s not enough, Scottie Scheffler has only returned two shots.
Still, these two holes reminded Fleetwood that 18 holes can feel a long way to go in TPC Southwind. There is expected plenty of pressure on the top, scattered across the rest of the field as they try to advance in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“It’s another opportunity for me to go out and try out the best rounds I can and enjoy being in that position,” Fleetwood said. “The more I put myself there, the more likely it is going to happen, and I just go out and continue to learn from all the experiences. But tomorrow may not be my day, but there is one thing that matters most.
Having won many on the big stages around the world rather than on the PGA Tour, Fleetwood started the third round with a three-shot lead over Rose.
On a third of the par 5, Fleetwood’s second shot was short and appeared in the water. He took a penalty drop and thrusts the wedge into the bunker above the green. Fleetwood said he noticed his golf ball moving slightly on his swing with a wedge.
Officials of the rules investigated the video and determined that if it moved it was so small it could not determine whether it was – Fleetwood caused it and no penalty was issued. He made a double bogey and Rose ran through three straight birdies to take the lead.
“The third was exactly that kind of kerfuffle, and it was a mess,” Fleetwood said. “It wasn’t that bad on the second shot, but it’s clearly awful when it’s in the water. From there it felt like the ball was moving when it hit, it was thin on my back and actually made a double.”
Fleetwood not only regained the lead, but also rebounded to get back to three shots. However, on hole 18, he ran into roughness, unable to reach the green, making a bogey and finished 54 holes with a 14 under 196.
Rose hits rough to five feet from the front pin for his first birdie since the seventh hole. It gave him a 67 and put him in the final group along with his Ryder Cup teammates.
Meanwhile, Schaeffler put together six birdies in the 65 rounds, two shots behind. He made a lonely bogey on No. 10, and Schaeffler avoided another bogey when his bunker shot hit a sprinkler on No. 12 when he avoided falling into the green. He stopped a 25-foot putt from the fringe.
Schaeffler already guarantees he will remain No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup playoffs, but is looking to win this year’s fifth win. If he does that, he will be the first player to win five tours in a row in a row since winning three times from 2005 to 2007.
Schaeffler has not finished from the top 10 since March.
US Open Champion JJ Spaun (65) and Andrew Novak (67) were three shots behind.
Sunday is one of the most important days on the PGA Tour, not just Fleetwood. The FedEx Cup Top 50 will make its second playoff event at the BMW Championship, guaranteed to be in all of the $20 million signing events next year.
Ricky Fowler and Chris Kirk had 66 each, and was projected to move to the top 50 along with Bud Corey and Jonattan Vegas.
Among those who could bump into one another is Jordan Spieth, who has settled down to 70 more. Staying on the leaderboard is important for players like Fowler and Corey, as those spots deserve more points.
For Fleetwood, it’s about winning.
He is ranked 15th in the world. He has 42 top 10 finishes, 28 top 5 finishes and 11 top 3 finishes. He appeared in two Ryder Cups for Europe and won a strong field.
However, the lack of titles on the PGA Tour is becoming a burden. Fleetwood took a one-shot lead on the final hole at the Travelers Championship in June, taking three putts from just off the green and losing to Keegan Bradley.
Fleetwood’s hope for June is to get a chance earlier than late, and his next chance will be Sunday at TPC Southwind.
This report used information from ESPN Research and Associated Press.
