Finally, Tommy Fleetwood has escaped the title of 'King of Runners-up'!

"This feeling is unbelievable," Fleetwood (34) shared emotionally. "163 games without a win, sometimes I wondered if I was good enough to do this. But today, it all paid off."

In his seven years on the PGA Tour, Fleetwood finished second six times, third six times, and in the top five 30 times. He earned over $33 million, but none of that money could buy him satisfaction. Behind his familiar gentle smiles, Fleetwood endured terrible torment: 163 tournaments without a single victory.

There were times when opportunities came so close, only to be lost due to mistakes at the crucial moment. This summer, he even missed the chance to lift the trophy twice because of self-inflicted errors. The emotional scars were piling up. But at East Lake Golf Club, Fleetwood achieved something he once thought "could never happen."

The victory of liberation

Fleetwood finished the final round with a 68 (-2) to win with a total score of (-18), three strokes ahead of the chasing pack. He became the first golfer since Chad Campbell in 2003 to win both the Tour Championship and his first PGA Tour title.

However, even with a three-stroke lead on the par-5 18th hole, Fleetwood could hardly relax. The mental scars of his 163 failed attempts remained. When his par putt on the final 18th hole landed, Fleetwood was momentarily stunned, then erupted with emotion: he raised both hands high, shouting loudly amidst the chorus of “Tommy! Tommy!” from thousands of American spectators.

Beside the green, fellow golfer Justin Rose (2018 FedEx Cup champion) and Harry Hall came forward to give him a warm hug. Shane Lowry, his Ryder Cup teammate, was also there to share in the joy. Rose even took out his phone to record this memorable moment for the world of golf.

This is the second time this year that Georgia has witnessed a "moment of liberation." In April, Rory McIlroy won The Masters after 10 years, completing his career Grand Slam. Fleetwood didn't have to wait that long, but he endured far more disappointment, with hundreds of tournaments and hundreds of self-torments.

He had won eight times in Europe, but had never won in the US. “It was a major turning point in my career. I didn’t need it to prove anything, but I craved it. Looking back now, this victory is a highlight that ends a series of missed opportunities. When I get home, I’ll start training again, continue working, and look forward to the next tournament,” Fleetwood said.

Courage prevails.

Two weeks ago, at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Fleetwood missed out on a playoff victory. The trauma of that defeat lingered as he entered the Tour Championship finals with a combined score of (-16) against Patrick Cantlay. The pressure was immense, but this time, he proved his mettle.

There wasn't a truly perfect round, but Fleetwood always knew how to correct his mistakes at the right time. Every time he bogeyed, he immediately recovered with a birdie. In particular, two successful long putts on holes 12 and 13, right after Cantlay narrowed the gap, turned the tide. From there, he held his lead until the end of the round.

Cantlay faltered with early bogeys and double bogeys, then ran out of steam towards the end. Russell Henley and Keegan Bradley shot 69 and 70 respectively, lacking the strength to compete. Scottie Scheffler, world number one, briefly rekindled hope only to extinguish it himself with a double bogey on the 15th hole. Meanwhile, Fleetwood maintained his composure, not letting his inner demons lead him astray.

"It wasn't easy. I lost my rhythm, my play was inconsistent, but then I found myself again. When you've experienced enough failures, experience teaches you how to stand firm. And today, I did it right," Fleetwood said.

The victory propelled Fleetwood from 10th to 6th in the world rankings, solidifying his place among the elite. More importantly, Fleetwood became the first player in FedEx Cup Playoffs history to shoot all four rounds under 70 at East Lake, a testament to his absolute consistency.

Perseverance is the key to success.

Fleetwood became the third British golfer in history to win the FedExCup, following Justin Rose (2018) and Rory McIlroy (3 times).

"Fleetwood's resilience isn't just physical, but first and foremost mental. Despite hundreds of failures, he persistently believed, 'One day, I'll get it right.' That shows just how amazing his attitude towards golf is, how incredibly tenacious he is," commented Rory McIlroy.

Fleetwood himself admitted that he had learned to "enjoy" the pressure after hundreds of failures. "I hope from now on we'll have more to talk about than just that I've never won in America. I'm proud to have proven that if you're resilient enough, and keep getting back up after failure, success will come one day."

"I want to tell this story to young athletes that dreams are real, and perseverance is the path to achieving them," said the 34-year-old golfer.

Fleetwood had to wait 164 tournaments for his first PGA Tour title, but when that moment arrived, it became an iconic victory: a victory of perseverance, of resilience, of an unyielding heart.