A Historic Day for Fleetwood: Tommy Laments What Could Have Been Despite Stunning 63 at US Open

Tommy Fleetwood was on the brink of making history once again at the U.S. Open on Sunday. The Englishman shot a 7-under-par 63 on the final day of the tournament, just like he did in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills. But this time, he missed a 5-foot birdie putt on his final hole that could have given him a final-round 62 and made him the first player ever to shoot two 62s in a U.S. Open.

Despite this, Fleetwood was content with his performance. He said, “I missed a 6-footer on the first [hole], missed 5-footer on the last, and then everything in between was really, really good. I got off to a nice start. I just happened to be playing really well and got momentum on my side. I hit some amazing golf shots. So amazing coming down the stretch and playing so well and shooting those scores on a Sunday in a U.S. Open.”

Fleetwood’s 63 on Sunday was the lowest round of the tournament. He finished at 5-under for the week, 10 shots behind winner Jon Rahm. But Fleetwood was still proud of his achievement, as he became the first player in U.S. Open history to post two 63s.

“I just need to be higher up the leaderboard coming into Sunday and then have another day like today. It’s a nice little piece of history,” Fleetwood said.

Fleetwood’s magical round was highlighted by his stunning approach shots and his putting. He made nine birdies and two bogeys on the day. He said, “Days like today you can put in the memory bank and know that you can get rounds going and your game can stand up on a major golf course and shoot low scores is really nice to have.”

This was a historic day not just for Fleetwood but also for Austin Eckroat, who shot a 5-under-par 65 on Sunday. Eckroat’s day was highlighted by the record-tying 29 he shot on the front nine. He finished at 1-under for the tournament.

Speaking of his experience playing with the pros, Gordon Sargent, the low amateur for the tournament, said, “They seem to just limit their mistakes really well. They don’t really hit it out of position too often, and if they do, they just kind of get it back in position after that. You’ll see the leaders aren’t making doubles out there, and that was the key. Kind of just the consistency and like limiting the mistakes is what I envy in their games and what I’m trying to get better at.”

Despite the missed opportunity to shoot a 62, Fleetwood’s performance on Sunday was one to remember. He showed that he has what it takes to compete with the best golfers in the world and that he is capable of making history on the biggest stage.

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