Fleetwood proves himself worthy
Tommy Fleetwood looked at the leaderboard and saw three of the biggest names in golf among the players hunting him down in the final holes of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday.
Rather than unnerve the Englishman, it spurred him on.
Fleetwood produced his best stretch of golf all week when it mattered most, a back nine of 31 completing a 5-under 67 — the lowest score of the day — and a one-shot victory over the strongest field that the European Tour compiles.
Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer, all recent major winners, couldn’t keep up with Fleetwood, who ended his 3 ½-year wait for a second European Tour title.
“At the end of the day, they are world beaters,” the 26-year-old Fleetwood said. “They know how to get it done and they know what they are doing when they get up there. It’s a very big deal to prove yourself against some of the world’s best.”
For Fleetwood, a victory was due after a strong run of results since September, which was sparked by a return to his old caddy and his former coach. He just didn’t see it coming here, where he’d missed the cut in four of the previous years.
In a tense final round during which five players held either the outright lead or a share of the lead, Fleetwood made his move at the par-5 10th hole when he chipped in for eagle from 20 yards to get within a shot of first place.
His putt for eagle slid three feet by, but he made no mistake coming back and only an eagle from Pablo Larrazabal in the final group behind could deny Fleetwood. When the 2014 champion’s third shot came up short, Fleetwood — distinctive with his long, flowing hair — celebrated with his team behind the 18th green. His winning score was 17-under-par 271.
This win will lift him from a ranking of No. 102 to near the top 50. His career-high ranking was 47th in July 2015, after which he changed his swing — hoping, in his words, “it would make me a world-class golfer” — and got stuck in a rut.