England’s Tommy Fleetwood is happy with the way in which he bounced again from his US Open disappointment after firing himself into competition for his first PGA Tour win on the Vacationers Championship.
The 34-year-old had an excellent closing 4 holes at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut – the final Signature Occasion of the season – with two eagles and a birdie, with one other putt on the final brushing the opening.
His spherical of 65 put him right into a share of the lead on 9 beneath with world No 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who was one beneath on Friday, and two-time main winner Justin Thomas, who dazzled with a six-under 64.
World No 2 Rory McIlroy, who was two off the first-round lead, had a irritating day with a one-over 71 dropping him 4 again.
Fleetwood, who has not received anyplace in virtually 18 months, has had 4 PGA Tour top-10s this season however missed his first lower of the yr ultimately week’s US Open.
“You do quite a lot of sulking and then look at what you can do to improve. Very disappointed last week,” he instructed Sky Sports activities.
“I have been having season and I felt like my sport was in a extremely good place going into final week.
“For whatever reason – I’ll never understand the game – I played really poor but in golf there is always another week and this week is a big week.
“I got here out motivated to take no matter there’s to be taught to make you higher for the approaching weeks and to this point this week I am pleased with how I bounced again.”
Fleetwood’s round was going nowhere with one birdie and one bogey through 12 holes until he hit a superb 261-yard approach to the par-five 13th and holed his nine-footer for eagle.
He then chipped in from the front of the drivable 299-yard 15th for eagle and picked up another shot after hitting his tee shot to 12ft at the next.
At the last he managed only a 205-yard drive after his ball caught a tree but drilled a nine-wood to 11ft from 226 yards but could not close out with a birdie.
“I’d have beloved to have holed the putt however I would take 4 after that tee shot,” added Fleetwood, for whom the £2.6m first prize would increase his Ryder Cup prospects as he at the moment sits a spot out of the top-six automated qualifiers.
Fleetwood’s Ryder Cup team-mate McIlroy had three bogeys in his opening 4 holes as he turned in a three-over 38, though three birdies in his subsequent six holes recovered the harm.
However he did not take advantage of an enormous stroke of luck on the seventeenth the place his strategy from a bunker skipped off the lake again into the golf green just for him to race his chip 13ft previous and did not gap his par putt.
Watch the PGA Tour’s Vacationers Championship reside on Sky Sports activities from Thursday to Sunday or stream with no contract on NOW
