Tommy Fleetwood wasn’t a part of the conversation going into Sunday’s final round at the Nedbank Challenge.
After all, the shaggy-haired star from England was a whopping six shots behind the lead and had some pretty strong names sitting in front of him — including Louie Oosthuizen, the home-country favorite.
Tommy got himself going with an eagle on the par five ninth and was five-under at the turn. He then eagled the par five 10th and looked as if he might make it a runaway win. But he wounded himself with bogeys at the 11th and 12th. Not to worry, he made his third — count ’em — third eagle of the day at the par five 14th. Another bogey at the 16th set him back a bit but he still managed to finish with a seven-under par 65. He posted 12-under on the challenging Gary Player course with Player taking in the action at the 18th.
Fleetwood managed to play the four par fives in an eye-popping seven-under par. Not many players can contend for a title with three back-nine bogeys on Sunday yet Fleetwood was in the lead and had to wait to see who might tie or beat him.
The lead group got hit with a bad case of “We’re all playing poorly.” Oosthuizen fell apart like the proverbial cheap suit on the back nine thanks to four bogeys and a double for a 40 that gave him a nasty 75. Playing partner Zander Lombard, who had a share of the 54-hole lead with Oosthuizen at 11-under, was worse. He shot 77. Thomas Detry was the medalist with 74. Ugly effort by the entire threesome.
But that was good news for Fleetwood and 23-year-old Swede Marcus Kinhult.
Kinhult picked up his first European Tour win this season and was threatening Fleetwood for No. 2. He made a nice birdie at the 15th to tie Fleetwood then made Tommy watch anxiously in the clubhouse as he parred the final three — forcing a playoff.
Fleetwood was pretty anxious. He had gone all season without a victory, a tough run for one of Europe’s best and the hero of the last Ryder Cup with partner Francesco Molinari.
Lots of drama here because Fleetwood and Kinhult were playing for a $2.5 million first price. The runner-up prize was “only” $845,000 so the twosome was headed back to 18 to play for $1,655,000. That’s enough to get anyone’s attention.
Fleetwood found the right rough after Kinhult made the fatal error of missing left on the dogleg left. The Swede had not shot and was forced to pitch out for a clear third. Fleetwood had his own issues with a stance that had his feet below the ball, forced him to choke down to the steel for his second. He missed right while Kinhult hit a nervous third that left him off the green, left. Both were given drops to clear them from the stands. Kinhult pitched to seven feet while Fleetwood pulled off a beauty and gave himself just five-feet for what could be the winning par.
Kinhult made his then watched as Fleetwood poured his in the middle then celebrated with a big fist pump.
The moment was a bit overwhelming for Tommy but he put it in perfect context with this:
“Being a professional golfer these days, you have a chance to set your family up for life and I think of all my achievements, that’s the thing I’m most proud off,” he said with an ear-to-ear smile on his face.
Fleetwood also set himself up for possible victory in the Race To Dubai. He’s now second behind points-leader Bernd Wiesberger going into the European Tour’s grand finale this week at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
“It’s an absolute privilege to get to the last event with a chance to win the Race to Dubai. It’s an amazing thing to have in your career, and one of the things I’m most proud of,” Fleetwood added afterward. “The closer it gets to the end of the season, the harder it gets to the present, do your things, concentrate on what you do best. But I’m happy for the challenge. I feel like I’m ready. I mean, I might go out next week and play terrible, but it’s golf. And this experience will live with me forever.
“Golf is a funny old game and all we want to do is win,” he said. “Everybody strives for the same thing week in, week out and unless you do you’re never satisfied, even finishing second.
“I was struggling with levels of expectation because I wasn’t playing how I thought that I should or achieving the things that I wanted to. It’s such a great, great thing and a feeling to be playing with a chance to win the Race to Dubai in the last event.”
Three eagles and a birdie on the final day?
A repeat could come in handy next Sunday.
