Tommy Fleetwood secures elusive first PGA victory to win FedEx Cup title

ATLANTA: Asked and now answered.

Emphatically.

Stop questioning Tommy Fleetwood about finally getting his first PGA Tour victory. He got his win, after so many close calls, in a big way. The Englishman captured the FedEx Cup championship with a victory in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Sunday. He takes away the coveted playoff championship and a $10 million winner’s check.

Fleetwood finished 18 under par with a final-round 68. Patrick Cantlay (71), who played in the final pairing, and Russell Henley (69), the first- and second-round leader, tied for second at 15 under.

Fleetwood had a huge smile, maybe of relief, after making his tap-in putt to finish as fans circled the 18th green. They chanted “Tom-my, Tom-my,” as he hugged his caddie. Then he looked upward and let out a scream of delight. He raised both hands as he walked off the green and was greeted by several players.

The win came in Fleetwood’s 164th career start on tour, which included 30 top-5 finishes. Two of those near misses came in these playoffs, a tie for third at the St. Jude’s Championship and a tie for fourth at the BMW Championship. He’s had to answer questions about finally breaking through, especially when he entered the final round holding a share of the lead.

“It’s a shame the story is gone,” Fleetwood said of finally breaking through. “I enjoyed it while it lasted in a sick way. ... I’ll be proud of the strength that I had to show to keep coming back and showing that it can be done if you’re resilient enough and you keep putting yourself in those positions.

“I’ll look back at it and I’ll be able to tell people that I am really, really pleased that I get to talk to kids or aspiring golfers or aspiring sports people,