Toby Tarrant: Tommy Fleetwood is a bridesmaid once again… but with better hair
Tommy Fleetwood of England reacts on the 18th green after making a putt on the first playoff hole to force a second playoff during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club on June 11, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images).
After another insane week in the world of golf the Canadian Open was a timely reminder of why we love the sport so much. For the second week running a PGA event had a thrilling finish as Nick Taylor became the first native winner of the tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954.
At the start of the final day there were a number of Englishmen in with a good chance of lifting the trophy including Tyrell Hatton, Aaron Rai and Justin Rose and it would have been great to see one of them victorious. However, the scenes when Taylor rolled in a monster 72-foot putt to win in front of a brilliant home crowd were undeniably beautiful.
If you are going to lose to anyone it might as well be a Canadian seeing as they are some of the nicest people in the world. Even on the final day as the pressure ramped up Taylor made sure people were quiet during his opponents shots and congratulated the other golfers when they hit a good one. English patriotism aside, it was a wonderful win and just what golf needed.
Tommy Fleetwood of England plays a shot during a practice round prior to the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images).
To be honest there was probably only one man in the world who couldn’t enjoy what happened on the green of the 18th hole on Sunday and that was another one of golfs good guys: Tommy Fleetwood. He had just been defeated in the play-off as he continued his search for his first win on the PGA Tour but he covered his devastation afterwards very well with a typically classy response as he congratulated Taylor and called his win “a nice moment”. It’s not often when surrounded by Canadians you’re one of the nicest guys out there but Fleetwood is a universally loved golfer. Watching him and Taylor go head-to-head at the end was like watching Santa Claus fight Bambi, you love them both and you just don't want to see either of them get hurt.
“So whilst Tommy Fleetwood may have woken up on Monday morning thinking about another tournament passing him by, there is plenty for him to be hopeful about. He’s still got every chance of winning this season, possibly even a major, and in a few months he has the chance to be a Ryder Cup hero in Rome.”
But sadly Fleetwood was the bridesmaid once again and he can now add runner-up at the Canadian Open to his list of near misses. It's not the first time in his career he has finished 2nd he has even done it at both the US Open and The Open but there is a real sense that the elusive big win is not far away. After a dip in form the past couple of years he looks back to his near-best and when he's playing well there aren't too many professionals who can match him. He's also picked a great time to start playing well with the small matter of the US Open up next.
So whilst Tommy Fleetwood may have woken up on Monday morning thinking about another tournament passing him by, there is plenty for him to be hopeful about. He's still got every chance of winning this season, possibly even a major, and in a few months he has the chance to be a Ryder Cup hero in Rome.
If that isn't enough to cheer him up, it's worth reminding that he earned close to a million dollars this weekend, everybody loves him and most importantly of all… he has got fantastic hair.
Hair that a bridesmaid would be jealous of.
Toby Tarrant is a new columnist to The Cut Stuff casting a monthly irreverent look on the world of golf.
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