England’s Tommy Fleetwood is pleased with the way he bounced back from his US Open disappointment after firing himself into contention for his first PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship.
The 34-year-old had a brilliant final four holes at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut – the last Signature Event of the season – with two eagles and a birdie, with another putt at the last brushing the hole.
His round of 65 put him into a share of the lead on nine under with world No 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who was one under on Friday, and two-time major winner Justin Thomas, who dazzled with a six-under 64.
World No 2 Rory McIlroy, who was two off the first-round lead, had a frustrating day with a one-over 71 dropping him four back.
Fleetwood, who has not won anywhere in almost 18 months, has had four PGA Tour top-10s this season but missed his first cut of the year at last week’s US Open.
“You do quite a lot of sulking and then look at what you can do to improve. Very disappointed last week,” he told Sky Sports.
“I’ve been having a good season and I felt like my game was in a really good place going into last week.
“For whatever reason – I’ll never understand the game – I played really poor but in golf there is always another week and this week is a big week.
“I came out motivated to take whatever there is to learn to make you better for the coming weeks and so far this week I’m happy with how I bounced back.”
Fleetwood’s round was going nowhere with one birdie and one bogey through 12 holes until he hit a superb 261-yard approach to the par-five 13th and holed his nine-footer for eagle.
He then chipped in from the front of the drivable 299-yard 15th for eagle and picked up another shot after hitting his tee shot to 12ft at the next.
At the last he managed only a 205-yard drive after his ball caught a tree but drilled a nine-wood to 11ft from 226 yards but could not close out with a birdie.
“I would have loved to have holed the putt but I’d take four after that tee shot,” added Fleetwood, for whom the £2.6m first prize would boost his Ryder Cup prospects as he currently sits a place out of the top-six automatic qualifiers.
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Watch McIlroy hit his longest drive of the season with a 392-yard shot on the par-five 12th hole at Oakmont during the first round of the US Open
Fleetwood’s Ryder Cup team-mate McIlroy had three bogeys in his opening four holes as he turned in a three-over 38, although three birdies in his next six holes recovered the damage.
But he failed to make the most of a huge stroke of luck at the 17th where his approach from a bunker skipped off the lake back into the fairway only for him to race his chip 13ft past and failed to hole his par putt.
Watch the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship live on Sky Sports from Thursday to Sunday or stream without a contract on NOW