After gut-wrenching near-miss for gold, Tommy Fleetwood focuses on constructive

Tommy Fleetwood was on the cusp of the best achievement of his profession on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Taking part in within the last group, Fleetwood stored tempo along with his enjoying companions, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, on the entrance 9, and, as they started to fade, by the twelfth gap, Fleetwood was tied for the lead at 18 below par.

Then, Rahm suffered a stunning double-bogey on the 14th gap to fall out of rivalry. In the meantime, a few teams forward, Scottie Scheffler was on a birdie binge, claiming the outright lead with an extended birdie on No. 17.

Fleetwood birdied the sixteenth gap to tie Scheffler at 19 below, however a devastating bogey brought on by a poor chip that Fleetwood didn’t stand up and down on the seventeenth dropped him one shot out of the lead. When Fleetwood additionally didn’t birdie the ultimate gap, his clutch putt for par secured the silver, and Scheffler claimed the gold by one shot.

It was clearly a gutting end for the 33-year-old Englishman, who has additionally by no means gained a significant championship, regardless of ending within the high 10 eight occasions, together with two runner-ups.

“There’s a part of me that’s disappointing, in fact, however on the similar time, I by no means dreamt that I’d be an Olympic medalist,” he mentioned after the medal ceremony on Sunday. “I’m nonetheless unbelievably proud and pleased with the way in which the week went. I used to be happy with the way in which I performed right this moment. And yeah, I loved it a lot. I take that away from it. This was an unimaginable environment to play in entrance of this week and to be part of.

“I haven’t been within the combine that a lot not too long ago, and I feel being again there and enjoying nicely and feeling how I felt once more, yeah, I loved it a lot,” he continued. “I’m unbelievably proud to be an Olympic medalist. I by no means thought that that may occur.”

As for the end, Fleetwood mentioned it was a unique feeling to lose the match however get pleasure from chasing a medal.

“Even on the final for me, usually I’d have type of on condition that chip a go. I missed it, and I do know I’ve misplaced the match however I used to be nonetheless fairly nervous making an attempt to get that silver medal over that 6-footer,” he mentioned. “In order that’s a unique feeling, as nicely.”

For Fleetwood, being again within the combine on such a grand stage was a singular and constructive expertise — and one he mentioned he gained’t quickly overlook.

“It feels unbelievably particular,” he mentioned. “I do know I didn’t win gold right this moment, and an excellent golfer did. Standing on that podium with a medal in entrance of the gang was some of the superb moments I’ve had as a golfer. So I’ll bear in mind all these occasions for the remainder of my life.

“I’ve actually liked that again 9,” he continued. “Nicely, the entire of right this moment however the again 9, in rivalry, enjoying very, very nicely. The leaderboard modified fairly a bit, and it was superb to be part of. I feel the principle factor that I take away from it was simply the enjoyment, and I used to be pleased with the way in which I performed. I really by no means felt unbelievably snug with my golf swing this week nevertheless it’s humorous that there’s loads of occasions the place I felt nice and never obtained the outcome out of it. It’s a humorous recreation like that. However I take that away that, actually, the enjoyment.

“Stood on the rostrum there, some of the particular moments of my life and I’ll bear in mind it eternally. Yeah, I feel it means an terrible lot.”

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She will be able to out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily answerable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular tasks, similar to GOLF’s inaugural Fashion Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview collection, “A Spherical With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video kind on GOLF.com.