Tommy Fleetwood turns down £1.2m opportunity straight after £2.7m heartbreak
Tommy Fleetwood agonisingly missed out on his first PGA Tour title after he lost his nerve on the final three holes of the Travelers Championship
Tommy Fleetwood will not line up for the Rocket Classic, which comes days after his disappointing defeat at the Travelers Championship. Fleetwood was poised to clinch his inaugural PGA Tour title at TPC River Highlands last weekend.
With a two-stroke lead on the 16th hole, it appeared he was closing in on a much-anticipated triumph. But Fleetwood, who has six runner-up finishes on the tour, faltered with two bogeys and a par, opening the door for US Ryder Cup star Keegan Bradley to snatch victory by a single stroke.
And Fleetwood won't be able to immediately right that wrong this weekend, having declined the opportunity to enter the Rocket Classic. He joins a substantial contingent of marquee players like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and 2022 victor Tony Finau in giving the Michigan event a miss.
By deciding against competing at the Detroit Golf Club, Fleetwood foregoes the chance to win the £1.2million first prize. For finishing second in Connecticut, Fleetwood earned £1.29m, but a victory would have seen him walk away with a cheque for £2.7m.
Fleetwood hinted at taking some time off to evaluate his emotions and pinpoint where things didn't quite add up. Reflecting on his next steps, he said: "Right now I would love to, you know, just go and sulk somewhere. Maybe I will do.
"But there's just no point making it a negative for the future really, just take the positives and move on. Obviously there's a lot of chat about it.
"I think I would have loved to have done it today, the search goes on, I guess. When it happens it will be very, very sweet."
Fleetwood added: "I haven't been in this situation for a while. I think, you know, when it sort of calms down - I'm upset now, I'm angry - when it calms down, look at the things that I did well, look at the things that I can learn from.
"When it calms down, the most stupid thing to do and the worst thing to do would be to make a week like this a hindrance to what you do going forwards. I obviously played great.
"I put myself in a great position, I was leading the tournament for 71 holes. I just want to make sure that I can put myself in this position as soon as possible again and try and correct what I did this time."
Fleetwood is set to appear at the Genesis Scottish Open scheduled for July 10. Bradley, who pipped him to the Travelers Championship, is scheduled to compete at the Rocket Classic.
The Vermont born star's triumph could have huge bearings on the Ryder Cup, which begins on September 26. From a rankings point of view, Bradley is world No. 7 and ninth in the American rankings.
He is now ranked highly enough to select himself for Team USA. If he opts to compete at Bethpage Black, he will be the first playing Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
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The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Ryder Cup 2025: USA standings and predicting Keegan Bradley's team for Bethpage Black
Team USA is on a mission to recapture the Ryder Cup in the 2025 edition of the event at Bethpage Black and their chances look promising with the world's best player Scottie Scheffler leading their charge on the course. But the peculiar situation surrounding the team brings unwanted pressure and a distraction, with captain Keegan Bradley enjoying the best golf of his career, including a stunning win at the Travelers Championship to beat out Ryder Cup stalwart Tommy Fleetwood, cruelly denying him a first PGA Tour win in the process. The LIV Golf controversy has subsided, with Bryson DeChambeau likely to qualify automatically, yet also thriving since the switch, with the fallout costing him a place at Marco Simone in 2023. A hurtful defeat in Rome, which saw Scheffler brought to tears after a record-breaking nine and seven defeat to Vikto Hovland and Ludvig Aberg, should provide plenty of motivation for a raucous home crowd in New York this time around. Here's how the stars and stripes could line up, plus current standings, form and who is in line for one of Bradley's six wildcard picks to take on a confident Team Europe: Current Team USA standings for 2025 Ryder Cup Top six players qualify automatically for team. Standings accurate as of 24 June 1. Scottie Scheffler 27536.93 - QUALIFIED 2. Xander Schauffele 12472.70 3. JJ Spaun 12271.85 4. Russell Henley 11166.85 5. Bryson De Chambeau 10318.00 6. Justin Thomas 9997.69 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Collin Morikawa 9482.01 8. Ben Griffin 8432.91 9. Keegan Bradley 7845.22 10. Harris English 7666.52 11. Maverick McNealy 7126.46 12. Brian Harman 6521.26 13. Andrew Novak 6346.28 14. Patrick Cantlay 6010.83 15. Sam Burns 5508.75 16. Tom Hoge 4392.10 17. Cameron Young 4386.55 18. Daniel Berger 4308.82 19. Tony Finau 4160.51 20. Lucas Glover 4155.63 Team USA for the 2025 Ryder Cup The locks Scottie Scheffler Qualified. The best player in the world, but he has demons to exorcise from Rome: 9 and 7 with Brooks Koepka against Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg should light a fire in him for Bethpage Black. A comprehensive win at the PGA Championship, pencil him in for at least three sessions and his singles match. Xander Schauffele Holds a 7-6-1 record. Unable to capture the magic of 2024 after claiming two majors and has been hit with injuries. But a world class player with tremendous power and distance to marry with exquisite iron play and finesse around the greens. One of the few versatile players in terms of pairings for the USA, too. JJ Spaun Clutch play at Oakmont, a maiden major and the revelation of men's golf this year. A debut at Bethpage Black should provide a different examination, yet the Californian outdueled Bob MacIntyre, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton, which should give him an edge. Russell Henley Will get in as an automatic selection through the rankings and Bradley got a close-up look at what he can do in the final group of the Travelers Championship, including his chip-in on 18. Henley, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year, is a wizard approaching the green (11th in strokes gained on tour this year) and third on tour for proximity with his approach. A great option in foursomes. Bryson DeChambeau Holds a 2-3-1 record. Sorely missed in Rome from an entertainment perspective, his bruising power of the tee should pose a real threat at this menace of a golf course. Still not striking his irons as he would like or how you'd expect given his scientific approach, and he continues to blame his golf ball, a daunting opponent but one the Europeans will fancy toppling if they can weather an early storm. Justin Thomas Clinging onto the last automatic place, though in truth both Thomas and Morikawa (currently seventh) will both go. In a much better place after winning the RBC Heritage and T-2 at the Truist, but cut-cut at the PGA Championship and US Open provides a little concern over his ability to rise up on the tougher tracks. Collin Morikawa A masterful iron player. Despite the near-misses at the Sentry and Players, finishing second in both, the 28-year-old hasn't contended enough. But with the potential to establish himself as a transcendent player of his generation, Morikawa is a lock to play again this year and build on his experience from Rome. Likely in the team Keegan Bradley El Capitan. You saw the emotion when let down by ZJ in Full Swing, so to now be in a predicament: He's playing well enough to fully justify a wildcard pick. But as captain, where is the threshold to jeopardise his role as captain? Winning the Travelers Championship has changed everything. A big, big few months ahead and a colossal decision. Will he become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963? Patrick Cantlay An absolute gun for the US in team events, most notably forming a formidable partnership alongside fellow 'best current player not to win a major' Xander Schauffele over multiple Ryder and Presidents Cups, it's hard to envisage Cantlay not being at Bethpage. However, he'll likely need a captain's pick because while partner in crime Schauffele ended his major drought by bagging two of them last year, the formerly prolific Cantlay doesn't have a tournament win of any description since August 2022. Has gone off the boil in majors this season, missing the cut at both the US Open and US PGA, and did become the villain du jour at the 2023 Ryder Cup when he refused to wear a hat, reportedly as a protest at not being paid to compete. The controversy ended up overshadowing the US team somewhat as they suffered a chastening defeat, while his caddy Joe LaCava first baited the European fans by waving a hat and celebrating wildly when his player made a crucial putt and then had a heated confrontation with Rory McIlroy in the car park. If he is in New York, Captain Bradley will surely implore Cantlay to keep his focus to on-course matters, where he has traditionally been very impressive. Jordan Spieth File him in the "we'll do everything we can to take him" category. He can take confidence in how much faith Thomas was given before Rome and expect similar treatment here. He won't qualify automatically and he'll need some help in the closing stretch. A wrist injury at Oakmont has further muddied the waters, but Spieth is charismatic and could lift the home crowd to feverish levels. Bradley will need to be brave to resist picking him. In contention Ben Griffin The most likely rookie wildcard pick? Griffin has a tidy game and won the Charles Schwab this year. Two top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and US Open show he belongs at the very top; he's in the driver's seat to grab one of the wildcard picks. The limited matchplay experience, beyond the Aruba Cup, representing the PGA Tour Canada in 2018, is one concern though. Harris English English's first Ryder Cup match, in the Friday fourballs back in 2021, saw him and Tony Finau impressively down European big-hitters Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry 4&3 but losses in Saturday's fourballs and Sunday's singles left English and Finau as the US's lowest scorers that week. Not selected two years ago, English looks a good bet to get the call in 2025 after a win at the Farmers Insurance Open in January (his first PGA Tour triumph in four years), a T12 at the Masters and a T2 at the US PGA behind the uncatchable Scottie Scheffler have helped launch him back into the world's top 20. Rarely misses a cut and although he'll likely need a captain's pick, he feels like one of the leading contenders to get one. Sam Burns A Sunday to forget at Oakmont as he frittered away a number of strokes to lose control of what was at one point a dominant US Open bid. Paired with Scheffler, a good friend of his, in Rome, in a bid to bring the best out of the world No 1, but it didn't work. An elite putter, Burns' US Open performance ought to earn him a pick if he can replicate this form in the closing weeks. Cameron Young If Tommy Fleetwood is in a tier of his own when discussing the best player yet to win a PGA Tour event, Young certainly isn't far behind. Narrowly missed out on a Ryder Cup debut in Rome two years ago despite vice-captain Fred Couples running his mouth on the radio a month before and declaring that "Cam Young will be in Italy". In with a real chance of that wrong being righted at Bethpage and his prodigious driving, both in terms of length and shot shape, makes him a perfect fit for the course. A tournament win would remove any selection doubt but he's producing consistently good performances without getting over the line, including a T4 at the US Open, a T4 at the Canadian Open and a T7 at the Truist Championship in the past couple of months. Outsiders Brooks Koepka Endured a tough Ryder Cup last time out, including that heavy 9 and 7 loss to Hovland and Aberg. Cut-Cut-T-12 in this year's majors. Glimmers of the old, dominant Koepka at Oakmont, but he needs an imposing performance at The Open. Max Homa Has fallen off a cliff since 2023, desperately searching for something after splitting with his caddy. A tremendous record lining up for the USA, one of the most liked players on tour. If he can give Bradley an excuse to pick him, he'll be on the team, but chances look slim right now. Wyndham Clark Battling some demons in 2025: From throwing his club in a petulant act that put a volunteer in danger to smashing up an Oakmont locker. Clark needs to produce something spectacular to be given the benefit of the doubt. T-46, T-50 and cut at this year's majors. It doesn't look good for a repeat appearance. Brian Harman Carried a little by Max Homa in Rome and unable to carry over his outstanding play from Hoylake. A win at the Valero Texas Open, yet there's still likely a bit of work to be done to secure a wildcard pick. Tony Finau The likeable veteran is a two-time Ryder Cup player with a middling 3-3-0 record but missed out in Rome. A six-time PGA Tour winner, he hasn't lifted a trophy since April 2023 and although he's found some consistency this season, he's still struggling to truly challenge at the top of the leaderboard. Often looks shaky over short putts which is sub-optimal for matchplay and will need a captain's pick to go to Bethpage. Without a win or a big performance at a big event in the run-up, it looks unlikely. Rickie Fowler A feelgood career renaissance saw Fowler earn a place on the 2023 team for a first Ryder Cup appearance since 2018. It didn't go well... Beaten alongside Collin Morikawa in Friday morning's foursomes, he wasn't seen again until Sunday's singles when he lost to Tommy Fleetwood and he has once again struggled for form since that 0-2 record, dropping outside the world's top 100. Barring something ludicrous happening, he won't be going to Bethpage. Predicted American team for the 2025 Ryder Cup Scottie Scheffler Xander Schauffele JJ Spaun Russell Henley Bryson DeChambeau Justin Thomas Collin Morikawa Ben Griffin Keegan Bradley Patrick Cantlay Sam Burns Jordan Spieth The top of the standings would strike fear into most European teams, yet even Scheffler has some demons to exorcise in this event and this format. Spaun was heroic at Oakmont, but we saw how surprise major winner Brian Harman coped in Rome, the test if fierce and unlike anything else, even a US Open. That said, there is certainly firepower there and you factor in the home advantage and even Bradley, a maverick of sorts in this role, might struggle to resist some of the safer wildcard selections (including himself!). Cantlay's form is alarming, he continues to disappear in the big moments in majors, while Burns shows irresistible potential, only to crumble in the face of adversity. Spieth could be given the benefit of the doubt; his preparation was hampered last time out when his wife gave birth to their first daughter just two weeks before the first foursomes going out. There's more variability in rookies Henley and Griffin, who has probably done enough to earn a wildcard at this stage, making the favourites vulnerable. Wily veterans Finau, Homa or even Brooks Koepka could come under serious consideration. Especially given a lack of exciting potential coming through at this stage: Matt Wolff and Nick Dunlap have both endured tricky spells of form, while Gordon Sargent, ranked No 1 in the amateur world rankings two years ago, has experienced sluggish start to life in the pro ranks.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
When is Ryder Cup 2025? Dates, schedule, format and predicted teams for USA and Europe at Bethpage Black
The Ryder Cup 2025 is approaching with Team USA bidding to gain revenge on Team Europe after a humbling defeat last time out in Rome. Luke Donald's side were outstanding in 2023 and are now hoping to become just the second away team to win since 2006, with many of the heroes from Marco Simone in good form to repeat. Europe's famous win in 2012, known as 'The Miracle of Medinah', could provide inspiration for Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and co., with Europe's team settled and in good form throughout 2025 on the PGA Tour. But Scottie Scheffler, the world No 1, will hope to lead the hosts, with captain Keegan Bradley also in contention to become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Here's everything you need to know about this year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black: When and where is the Ryder Cup 2025? The 45th Ryder Cup takes place from Friday, 26 September to Sunday, 28 September. It will be hosted by Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. The first session will likely start from 12-1pm BST (7-8am ET) on Friday, with the afternoon sessions likely to start from 5-6pm BST (12-1pm ET). Independent Sport will bring you full coverage from Bethpage Black, with hole-by-hole updates, scores and results in our Ryder Cup live blogs. You can also watch the action unfold live on Sky Sports Golf, with a live stream on NOW TV. Ryder Cup 2025 schedule Days 1-2: Friday 26 September and Saturday 27 September There will be a morning and afternoon session with foursomes and fourballs. The morning is likely to get underway from 12-1pm (7-8am ET). For reference, Friday and Saturday sessions in Rome started at 7:35am CET, while the afternoon sessions started at 12:25pm CET. Day 3: Sunday 28 September Singles usually start mid-morning on Sunday, with the final day in Rome getting underway at 11:35am CET, so we can expect a similar plan for Bethpage Black and the action to get underway from 4-5pm BST. There are 28 points up for grabs with the winners required to reach 14.5 points. The holders can defend the cup by reaching 14 points, with a draw ensuring they retain the cup. The competition lasts three days and the first two days, Friday and Saturday, see the players battle it out over foursomes (alternate shot) and fourballs (better ball). The action concludes on Sunday with 12 singles matches. Each match offers up one point, though the point can be halved if the match is tied after 18 holes, resulting in each team winning half a point. The players involved in foursomes (alternate shot) and fourballs (better ball) will be announced shortly before each session, with every player tasked with competing in a singles match on Sunday. The Course: Bethpage Black, New York Bethpage Black is known as one of the most difficult golf courses in the world. It is a par 71 and stretches to a daunting 7,426 yards, favouring the long hitters on tour. Players will be greeted by a sign on the first tee: 'The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers'. There have been three major championships held at the course, including most recently the 2019 PGA Championship, won by Brooks Koepka, who is competing to be on Team USA this time around. The course set-up is in the hands of the hosts, meaning USA can adjust conditions to suit their players. That said, Team Europe's talent and characteristics are largely similar to Team USA, meaning less advantage this time around. Players can expect narrower fairways and deep rough though, favouring players who can carry the ball a long way. The 15th hole is notoriously difficult and known as 'The Beast', Current Team Europe standings for 2025 Ryder Cup Top six players qualify automatically for team. Standings accurate as of 24 June 1. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 3138.45 - QUALIFIED 2. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 1237.43 3. Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 1216.55 4. Robert MacIntyre (SCO) 1212.11 5. Shane Lowry (IRE) 1202.11 6. Sepp Straka (AUT) 1146.33 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Predicted European team for the 2025 Ryder Cup Rory McIlroy Ludvig Aberg Tommy Fleetwood Tyrrell Hatton Viktor Hovland Jon Rahm Justin Rose Bob MacIntyre Shane Lowry Sepp Straka Matt Fitzpatrick Rasmus Hojgaard This would be almost identical to the side that vanquished the United States in Rome and although plenty will change between now and September, Rasmus Hojgaard nicks the final spot, bumping his twin brother out of the team. Pleasingly for Donald, the current top six automatic qualifiers are all players he would select anyway, giving him the maximum amount of control over the make-up of his side. There's plenty of time for the likes of Aaron Rai, Nicolai Hojgaard or Matt Wallace to knock off a player towards the bottom of the list with a strong summer of results, while it also relies on the LIV Golf situation not stopping the selections of Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, or even Garcia. Current Team USA standings for 2025 Ryder Cup 1. Scottie Scheffler 27536.93 - QUALIFIED 2. Xander Schauffele 12472.70 3. JJ Spaun 12271.85 4. Russell Henley 11166.85 5. Bryson De Chambeau 10318.00 6. Justin Thomas 9997.69 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Collin Morikawa 9482.01 8. Ben Griffin 8432.91 9. Keegan Bradley 7845.22 10. Harris English 7666.52 11. Maverick McNealy 7126.46 12. Brian Harman 6521.26 13. Andrew Novak 6346.28 14. Patrick Cantlay 6010.83 15. Sam Burns 5508.75 16. Tom Hoge 4392.10 17. Cameron Young 4386.55 18. Daniel Berger 4308.82 19. Tony Finau 4160.51 20. Lucas Glover 4155.63 Predicted American team for the 2025 Ryder Cup Scottie Scheffler Xander Schauffele JJ Spaun Russell Henley Bryson DeChambeau Justin Thomas Collin Morikawa Ben Griffin Keegan Bradley Patrick Cantlay Sam Burns Jordan Spieth The top of the standings would strike fear into most European teams, yet even Scheffler has some demons to exorcise in this event and this format. Spaun was heroic at Oakmont, but we saw how surprise major winner Brian Harman coped in Rome, the test if fierce and unlike anything else, even a US Open. That said, there is certainly firepower there and you factor in the home advantage and even Bradley, a maverick of sorts in this role, might struggle to resist some of the safer wildcard selections (including himself!). Cantlay's form is alarming, he continues to disappear in the big moments in majors, while Burns shows irresistible potential, only to crumble in the face of adversity. Spieth could be given the benefit of the doubt; his preparation was hampered last time out when his wife gave birth to their first daughter just two weeks before the first foursomes going out. There's more variability in rookies Henley and Griffin, who has probably done enough to earn a wildcard at this stage, making the favourites vulnerable. Wily veterans Finau, Homa or even Brooks Koepka could come under serious consideration. Especially given a lack of exciting potential coming through at this stage: Matt Wolff and Nick Dunlap have both endured tricky spells of form, while Gordon Sargent, ranked No 1 in the amateur world rankings two years ago, has experienced sluggish start to life in the pro ranks.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Cam Davis is a huge 70/1 to claim his third career Rocket Classic title - while Keegan Bradley is a BOOSTED 18/1 second-favourite according to Sky Bet
PGA Tour action returns Thursday - as the Detroit Golf Club plays host to the Rocket Classic. For those who will be following closely - Collin Morikawa is the shortest-priced in the market to be crowned champion - with the American valued at 12/1 (6 PLACES). Meanwhile, Morikawa's fellow countryman Keegan Bradley is a BOOSTED 18/1 second-favourite according to Sky Bet. Bradley has been in strong form of late - with him finishing top 10 at the Memorial Tournament before winning the Travelers Championship last time out. Bradley was impressive en route to his eighth career PGA Tour victory - shooting 2-under to storm over the top of Tommy Fleetwood late on the final day to win by a shot. Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young round out the five favourites in the market at 18/1, 22/1 and 30/1 respectively. Lastly, for those after an outsider - Cam Davis is an eye-catching 70/1 outsider to hoist the trophy. Davis won the Rocket Classic in 2024 - with the Aussie shooting 18-under to claim his second career PGA Tour win - both of which have come at the Rocket Classic. Sky Bet odds to win the Rocket Classic (EW - 6 places): Collin Morikawa 12/1 Keegan Bradely WAS 16/1 NOW 18/1 Patrick Cantlay 18/1 Ben Griffin 22/1 Cameron Young 30/1 Cam Davis 70/1
