Justin Rose made sure his longtime friend Tommy Fleetwood’s long-awaited first win on the PGA TOUR was well documented.
Fleetwood, 34, took home his first title on Sunday, August, 24, winning the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.
As Fleetwood made his final putt, Rose pulled out his phone to enthusiastically capture the moment just off the 18th green, which was captured on the broadcast.
“Justin Rose, proud dad of Tommy Fleetwood,” one golf fan joked via X.
Another wrote, “Justin Rose filming Tommy Lad on the 18th may be my pic of the year. Father-son moments are undefeated.”
Rose, 45, shared a picture of himself from his spot near the 18th green via social media Sunday, explaining what it made to see his friend finally taste victory.
“This felt as good as winning myself!” Rose wrote via 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. 🏆”
Fleetwood turned pro in 2010 and, despite numerous close calls over the years, had never won a tournament on the PGA TOUR.
After his win, Fleetwood joked to NBC’s Dan Hicks during the trophy presentation, “I’ve been a PGA TOUR winner for a long time. It’s just always been in my mind.”
Fleetwood later told reporters about what the moment, years long in the making, meant to him.
“I think it’s easy for anybody to say that they are resilient, that they bounce back, that they have fight,” Fleetwood said. “It’s different when you actually have to prove it. There’s different types of mental strength.”
He added, “I’ve had to have mental strength in a different way. I’ve had to be resilient in terms of putting myself back up there, getting myself back in that position, no matter how many times it doesn’t go my way, no matter how many doubts might creep in. Think the right things, say the right things to yourself, say the right things outwardly, and I am really pleased that I can be proof that if you do all the right things and you just keep going that it can happen.”
Fleetwood’s cathartic win drew huge reactions from across the sports world, including noted golf fan LeBron James.
“Congrats and 🫡 @TommyFleetwood1!!!” James, 40, wrote via X on Sunday. “That first one feeling is something else! Especially after dealing with adversity and shortcomings. Too 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🏆.”
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