Tommy Fleetwood finally had his breakthrough moment at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta over the weekend, securing his first-ever PGA Tour title in the 2025 Tour Championship.
After 12 years and 164 career starts without a win, Fleetwood finally hoisted the FedEx Cup trophy on Sunday.
Fleetwood sank his final birdie putt of the round to post a 2-under 68, finishing 18 under in the Tour Championship and letting out a scream of pure joy as the crowds erupted and echoed chants of his name.
After embracing his longtime caddie Ian Finnis, Fleetwood hugged his stepson and fellow Englishman Justin Rose snapped pictures of the celebration from the stands.
The long-awaited win for the 34-year-old English professional golfer after so many near misses sparked a slew of celebrations online, with reactions from some of the biggest names in golf and across the sports world.
Fleetwood finished three strokes ahead of Russell Henley and Patrick Cantlay to collect the FedEx Cup and $10 million.
"It's easy for anybody to say that they are resilient, that they bounce back, that they have fight," Fleetwood said, according to ESPN. "It's different when you actually have to prove it."
Rory McIlroy, who posted an even-par 70 to tie for 23rd, commented on Fleetwood's potentially monumental occasion before the round finished, saying "if he gets it done today, that would be amazing. I think we'd all love him to."
"It shows how great of an attitude he has towards the game, how resilient he is," McIlroy said.
Fleetwood has previously won on the DP World Tour seven times, plus three others around the world.
ESPN reported that Fleetwood's 30 previous top-five finishes "were the most by a golfer without a victory on the PGA Tour in the past 100 years, and his 44 top 10s were second most in the past century."
Fleetwood will carry this momentum to team Europe at the upcoming 45th Ryder Cup -- held Sept. 26-28 at the Black Course of Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York -- in hopes of defending the title after their 2023 win over the United States.
Two-time FedEx Cup winner Tiger Woods was one of the first to congratulate Fleetwood on his accomplishment Sunday.
"Your journey is a reminder that hard work, resilience, and heart do pay off. No one deserves it more. Congrats @TommyFleetwood1!" Woods wrote in a post on X.
Similarly celebratory messages poured in for Fleetwood, including from Rose, who watched the final putt sink.
"This felt as good as winning myself!" Rose wrote on X. "So happy for my man @TommyFleetwood1 for enduring the relentless pressure cooker his quality golf has put him in during these playoffs, and there is no more deserving champ."
Other superstars from across the sports world also weighed in on Fleetwood's victory, including basketball stars LeBron James and Caitlin Clark.
"Congrats and 🫡 @TommyFleetwood1!!!" James wrote in a post on X. "That first one feeling is something else! Especially after dealing with adversity and shortcomings. Too 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🏆."
In a separate post on X, Clark wrote simply, "Awesome. Sports rock."
