Tommy Fleetwood hopes his performance in the PGA Championship signals the end of his spell of “mediocre” golf.
Fleetwood carded a closing 67 at Southern Hills, the joint lowest score of the day, to finish in a tie for fifth, just two shots outside the play-off won by Justin Thomas.
It is the former Ryder Cup star’s best result since a tie for second in the Italian Open last September and lifts him to 41st in the world rankings, the 31-year-old having been 10th following his most recent win in Sun City in November 2019.
“I think I’m showing a lot of consistency, which is how I feel that I’ve played when I’ve played my best,” Fleetwood said.
“I’ve lacked, for a good period of time, the really high-end results, like a top five or top three or wins. So today is good just to have that, have work that you’re doing pay off.
“No matter how hard you’re working, without results and positive things happening it’s always more difficult the next day to just get up and feel like you are doing the right things and have confidence in that.
“I’m pleased with how things are working out. And this hopefully is just another step in going that way.
“We’re two majors into the year and the Masters was my best finish (14th) that I’ve ever had at Augusta. This is the best finish I’ve ever had at the PGA. If I can keep that train going, the other two should be decent weeks.”
Asked if his patience had been tested as he struggled to produce his best form, Fleetwood added: “Part of life, I guess, is you have your good times and your bad times. I’ve never stopped working. I’ve always tried my best, even when I’ve got it wrong.
I don't really want to be as mediocre as I have been so I'm trying to pick things up and be the player that I want to be and try and win the biggest events
“It’s difficult because you’re not performing how you want to, or you’re not getting out of it what you want to and your game isn’t really even close to being able to compete at the highest level. It’s always a struggle in that sense.
“But I think everybody that gets to a certain level, with the right information, is by far good enough to come out the other side. Hopefully that’s what I’m doing.
“It’s not been a humongous slump. It’s just not been very good at all and not how I want to play the game.
“I don’t really want to be as mediocre as I have been so I’m trying to pick things up and be the player that I want to be and try and win the biggest events.”
