Tommy Fleetwood Is Done Knocking - Now He’s Ready to Kick the Door Down
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - For years, Tommy Fleetwood’s story on the PGA Tour read like a script that kept skipping the final scene. He’d show up, contend, thrill fans with that silky swing and calm demeanor - and then come up just short.
Again. And again.
And again.
But that chapter finally closed last August when Fleetwood broke through in Atlanta, winning the Tour Championship and hoisting the FedEx Cup. It was his 164th PGA Tour start.
Let that sink in - 164. That’s a long time to wait for a player with his résumé, his ball-striking, and his global success.
Fleetwood wasn’t exactly a stranger to the winner’s circle. He’d already collected seven titles on the DP World Tour and three more internationally.
But on the PGA Tour, he had racked up 30 top-five finishes - the most by any player without a win in the last 40 years. Six times he’d finished runner-up.
He wasn’t just knocking on the door; he was practically living on the porch.
Now, the question has shifted. He’s no longer the best player without a win on Tour.
He’s a FedEx Cup champion, ranked No. 4 in the world, and heading into a major season that seems tailor-made for a player of his pedigree. So what’s next?
“I don't think it added pressure to me,” Fleetwood said Wednesday at Pebble Beach, ahead of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “I think for sure I felt the pressure to try and win.
The longer that goes on, the harder it gets… But just because I won once doesn't mean that stops. I still have to keep putting myself into contention if I want to win again and win more.”
That mindset - stay in the hunt, stay patient - is what’s carried Fleetwood through the years of close calls. And now that he’s tasted victory on U.S. soil, the hunger hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s sharpened.
He’s not dodging the expectations, either. In fact, he embraces them.
“I always try and find the positives,” Fleetwood said. “Like, is this my window to win a major?
I’d rather you be asking me that than not mentioning it at all. That would mean I’m not doing that great.”
Fleetwood’s always been one of the more likable figures in golf - a guy fans root for, fellow players respect, and media enjoy covering. But for a while, that “nice guy” label came with a bit of a caveat. Some wondered if he had the edge needed to close.
Even Rory McIlroy, his Ryder Cup partner and friend, acknowledged that perception.
“I would never say that Tommy questioned how much he wanted it, but he’s always been so nice,” McIlroy told Golf Magazine. “This year, I feel like he’s developed that little bit of edge.”
Fleetwood, for his part, doesn’t see the two as mutually exclusive.
“Nice guys can win, of course,” he said. “I think I've always prided myself on being a good person, a nice guy, but I also love playing golf and competing. Hopefully Rory still thinks I'm a nice guy.”
That competitive fire will be tested in a big way this year. The 2026 major calendar couldn’t be more inviting for Fleetwood.
The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills, where he finished runner-up in 2018 with a final-round 63 that nearly stole the trophy.
And then there’s Royal Birkdale - his hometown course in Southport, England - hosting the British Open.
“It’s probably my biggest dream in the game to win this tournament,” he said of The Open.
Fleetwood isn’t shying away from the moment. He’s not promising anything, but he’s putting himself in position.
The win in Atlanta didn’t just validate his career - it recalibrated it. He’s no longer chasing that elusive first.
He’s chasing greatness now.
“It's like having high expectations but having a high level of acceptance with whatever comes,” Fleetwood said. “Hopefully I continue to play great and hopefully this is my window to win majors - and it's a big, massive window and I can win like a bunch. We'll see what happens.”
One thing’s for sure: Tommy Fleetwood’s no longer knocking. The door’s open. And he’s walking through it with purpose.