It’s not always all about the money you know, especially when it comes to Tommy Fleetwood, who suffered another heartbreaking loss – this time to Keegan Bradley in The Travelers Championship – in his continuing quest to win on the PGA Tour.
Fleetwood has amassed a total of $31,122,462 (€26.9 million) in his winless PGA Tour career, this latest runner-up finish contributing $1.76 million to that haul. But what the Englishman truly wants is for that long-awaited win to come his way after so many near misses, this latest one coming on the back of a closing bogey (his putt on the last diverted at the death by a ball mark) while Bradley birdied on a similar line.
Of that winless streak (from 159 starts on the PGA Tour, with six runners-up finishes), Fleetwood remarked: “Obviously there’s a lot of chat about it. I would have loved to have done it today. Search goes on, I guess. When it happens, it will be very, very sweet.
“You know, like in my mind, I’ve won loads of PGA Tour events, I just haven’t done it in reality and I’m sure that time will come if I keep working.”
One positive upshot for Fleetwood following his runner-up finish to Bradley is that he has moved up five places to second on Europe’s Ryder Cup standings for the match against the United States in Bethpage in September.
Power needs a surge in form
Séamus Power – forced to withdraw from the recent Canadian Open due to injury, having also been forced out of the US Open final qualifying – returns to tournament action at this week’s Rocket Mortgage tournament, where he is the lone Irish player in the field.
Currently 118th on the FedEx Cup standings, Power will need to find some form in an inconsistent season to date – in his 15 tournaments so far he has made seven cuts, with four top-25s, but also missed seven, as well as having to make that withdrawal. He has to play his way into the top 100 to retain his full tour card.
Dubliner Conor Purcell is the lone Irishman in the field at the Italian Open at Monte Argentario while there are five Irish players – Lauren Walsh, Anna Foster, Annabel Wilson, Canice Screen and Olivia Mehaffey – in the field at the Amundi German Masters on the Ladies European Tour.
By the Numbers: 9
Bradley’s win in The Travelers has moved him to ninth in the US Ryder Cup standings and leaves him poised to become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
“This changes the story a little bit. I never would have thought about playing if I hadn’t won. This definitely opens the door to play.”
Word of Mouth
“It’s brutal out there when it comes to the set-up of the golf course, wind conditions, everything ... I mean, I think we played a two ball in like six hours. That’s just a little ridiculous, but, what can you do?” – world number one Nelly Korda on the difficulty of the conditions and the course set-up at PGA Frisco in Texas for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Minjee Lee of Australia – one of only three players to finish under par – won her third career Major title. Leona Maguire snapped a run of four missed cuts to finish in tied-19th, which moved her to 57th on the LPGA Tour season’s standings. Maguire’s payday saw her break the $5 million mark in career earnings on the LPGA Tour.
On this day: June 24th, 1979
Lee Trevino won his third Canadian Open at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Glen Abbey course in Ontario when he took advantage of an untypical final round collapse from Tom Watson.
Super Mex claimed his first win of the season on the PGA Tour and the 22nd of his career with a final-round 71 for a total of three-under-par 281 in unlikely fashion when Watson – who’d held a three-stroke advantage through 54 holes – suffered a triple-bogey six on the par-3 sixth hole that opened the door for Trevino.
On that par-3 Watson put his tee shot in the water and, after taking a penalty drop, proceeded to hit his next shot into a hazard and would ultimately card a six. On the back nine, Watson then suffered three successive bogeys from the 12th to 14th.
Trevino had three shots to spare over runner-up Ben Crenshaw while Watson had to settle for third.
The win was notable for Trevino in that the $63,000 pay-day moved him past $2 million in career earnings, joining Nicklaus in achieving such a milestone: “Now I’m going for $3 million. There’s always a goal, always something else to try for.”
Social Swing
Another week, another W for #TeamSrixon @Keegan_Bradley gets it done at The Travelers Championship! – Srixon on a bit of a streak, Bradley’s win backing up JJ Spaun’s US Open success.
Thumbs up for going bogey free all tournament! Hopefully next time a few more birdies will drop @CzechLadiesOpen @LETgolf Lots of positives to take from the last couple of weeks on the road! – Lauren Walsh on not dropping a shot all tournament in the Czech Open, where she finished tied-31st in a tournament won by South African Casandra Alexander. The Kildare golfer is 12th on the LET standings and is in the field for this week’s Amundi German Masters in advance of next week’s KPMG Irish Women’s Open at Carton House, where she is the touring professional.
72 again today. 7 over, tied 53rd. I only hit 71 times as I also incurred a penalty for marking and picking up my ball to place it. There was no placing today after the first two days with placing. I hit it better on the range afterwards so hopefully better days ahead – Pádraig Harrington following the Kaulig Championship won by Miguel Angel Jimenez, the Spaniard’s fourth win of the season. Harrington will be hoping for better form at this week’s US Seniors Open at Colorado Springs, where Darren Clarke is also competing.
In the Bag: Minjee Lee (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship)
Driver: Callaway Elyte 10.5 w/Mitsubishi Diamana WB 50R
3-wood: Callaway Elyte 3HL 16.5 w/Fujikura Ventus Red 6R
7-wood: Callaway Elyte 21 w/Fujikura Ventus Red 6R
Irons: Srixon MK2 (4), Callaway XF 24 (5-PW)
Wedges: Callaway Opus (52, 56 and 60 degrees)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser 7 CS Broomstick
Know the Rules
Q: When lifting a ball to see if it is cut or cracked, a player may clean the ball to the extent that is needed to see if it is cut or cracked. True or false?
A: False. When a ball is lifted from a part of the course other than a putting green to see if it is cut or cracked, cleaning is not allowed (see Rules 14.1c and 4.2c).
