Tommy Fleetwood Admits He's 'So Close Yet So Far Away' In FedEx Cup Race
The Englishman is 31st in the FedEx Cup rankings with only the top-30 making it through to the Tour Championship next week


Tommy Fleetwood has a relaxed attitude to being on the bubble for the Tour Championship - saying “it beats the heck out of sweating on actually keeping your card, doesn’t it?”
Fleetwood is 31st in the FedEx Cup rankings, and is determined to climb into the top thirty and qualify for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta.
But he says he will not let that target become an obsession as he tees it up in this week’s BMW Championship in Colorado.
He commented: “Look, it’s always a big achievement to make it to Atlanta given how cut-throat the qualifying process is. A lot of great players miss out every year.
“And being on the bubble obviously brings more attention, as well as the knowledge that you’re so close - yet so far away.
“It’s naturally at the back of my mind, but I’ll only let it become the main focus if I find myself without a chance of actually winning the tournament come Sunday.
“If that is the case I’m sure I’ll be made aware of all the various permutations, and spend a lot the day staring up at leaderboards to see how things are chopping and changing.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
“But if I’m honest, I’m actually disappointed to actually find myself in this position.
“I just don’t feel 31st in the FedEx is a fair reflection of the golf I’ve played for most of this year. I feel like I’ve performed really well on a lot of occasions, without getting the most out of it.
“I’ve had a lot of finishes between 15th and 25th - which is pretty good, but well short of what I’m looking for, and what I expect of myself.
“Last week at the St Jude Championship was a great example. I led the field in strokes gained tee to green, but was stone last of the seventy-man field in putting.
“I made the fatal mistake of trying to force things on the greens, probably because I was playing so well that I felt I should be shooting much lower scores.
“I actually putted OK in the first round, but wasn’t quite on it on day two. I missed a short one on 18, and I think that played on my mind a bit over the weekend. I hit a few good putts that didn’t go in, then a few not-so-good ones that didn’t drop either, and the bad ones never go in.
“Yet I’ve putted really nicely in the past at that course. I just need one week when I put it all together - and hopefully this week will be a week, and the ‘bubble factor’ won’t be an issue on Sunday.
Fleetwood was encouraged by the way he performed in the pro-am at Castle Pines near Denver, nicknamed the ‘Mile High Course’ because it was laid out at an altitude of around 6,000 feet.
It measures 8,150 yards, easily the longest course in PGA Tour history, but Fleetwood says thankfully, it plays a lot shorter.
He added: “At this altitude the ball flies about ten per cent further than at sea level, which means it equates to about 7,300 yards, which is around the usual yardstick for the PGAS Tour.
“The big adjustment is the elevation changes and the visuals, and it’s easy to airmail a green, or to overcompensate and come up short.
“But it’s the same for everyone, and I think it’s been set up with some great risk and reward elements to it. It’s a beautiful lay-out and with the Rocky Mountains as a back drop I think it will look fabulous on TV.”

David brings a wealth of experience to Golf Monthly as a freelance contributor having spent more than two decades covering the game as The Sun's golf correspondent. Prior to that, he worked as a sports reporter for the Daily Mail. David has covered the last 12 Ryder Cups and every Masters tournament since 1999. A popular and highly-respected name in the press tents around the world, David has built close relationships with many of the game's leading players and officials.
-
Joaquin Niemann Earns US Open Spot After Latest LIV Golf Win
The LIV Golf Mexico City champion has booked his spot for Oakmont via LIV's recently announced US Open exemption
By Elliott Heath
-
Tiger Woods Drops To New Ranking Low
The 15-time Major champion has fallen to his lowest ever world ranking position - and it's set to drop even further due to continued inactivity
By Elliott Heath
-
Andrew Novak And Ben Griffin Seal Maiden PGA Tour Titles At Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
The duo held off the challenges of Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard and Frank Capan III and Jake Knapp to win the TPC Louisiana team tournament
By Mike Hall
-
Zurich Classic Of New Orleans Tee Times: Final Round
Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin lead the pairs event by three shots going into the final round, with both men searching for a maiden PGA Tour victory
By Matt Cradock
-
Scottie Scheffler Adds Extra PGA Tour Event To Hectic Upcoming Schedule
The World No.1 begins a hectic period of the season with an appearance in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson
By Mike Hall
-
6 Big Pairings Who Missed The Cut At The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
A range of pairings are in contention at the Zurich Classic Of New Orleans, where a number of big groups also failed to make it into the weekend
By Matt Cradock
-
PGA Tour Truist Championship Creator Classic Line-Up And Format Revealed
The PGA Tour has announced the line-up for the second Creator Classic ahead of the Truist Championship - with YouTubers from outside golf taking on the challenge
By Paul Higham
-
Rory McIlroy And Shane Lowry Explain Golf Ball Tactics For Zurich Classic Foursomes
Defending Zurich Classic of New Orleans champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry explained how they go about picking which golf ball to use in foursomes
By Paul Higham
-
'I’ve Never Seen Someone Hit A Driver That Good. He Played So Freaking Good. And You Almost Feel Like, How Do I Compete With That?' - Akshay Bhatia Wowed By McIlroy's Masters Display
Akshay Bhatia lavished praise on Rory McIlroy's game at the Masters after playing the opening two rounds alongside the eventual champion at Augusta
By Paul Higham
-
Two-Time Champion Billy Horschel Forced To Withdraw From Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Two-time winner Billy Horschel was forced to pull out of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans due to what he called a "lower body injury"
By Paul Higham