Tommy Fleetwood's emotional and honest reaction to latest painful PGA Tour heartbreak

Tommy Fleetwood admitted he was “upset” and “angry” after blowing his best ever chance to win his first PGA Tour title at the Travelers Championship with two bogeys in the final three holes.

“It was probably the worst way to finish,” said the world No.13. The Ryder Cup startook a three-shot lead into the final round at the TPC River Highlands in Connecticut - and still led by two on the 16th tee.

But he dropped a shot on the par-3 16th after failing to find the green on the 155-yard hole. And when still leading by one on the final hole, the Everton fan nailed his drive but came up short of the green from 149 yards after changing his club. He took three putts from 50 feet for another bogey before Keegan Bradley nailed his five-foot birdie putt in a Ryder Cup-style atmosphere to take the $3.6m first prize. The US captain admitted he could now pick himself after climbing to world No.7 and ninth in the American rankings.

But Fleetwood was left to reflect on his sixth runner-up finish on the PGA Tour without a win - the same as Colin Montgomerie - after 159 appearances.

“I am pretty gutted right now,” he said. “I'm upset now, I'm angry. “It’s a crappy way to finish. A couple of wrong clubs down the last couple. I obviously didn’t putt great today. That long putt on 18, I left it in the worst possible spot just behind Keegan’s ball. Not the best putt there either. Things to work on there.

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“Not been in that situation for a long time. Thought I did a good job for the most part. Probably the worst way to finish, leading by two with three to play and leading by one going down the last and you don’t even make it to a playoff. The worst way it could go but Keegan did great down the stretch.

“Felt like I did a lot of good things, but there was things that I definitely can do better, and I have to do better.

“I would love to ust go and sulk somewhere and maybe I will do, but there's just no point making it a negative for the future really, just take the positives and move on. We will go home, start practising again. Tournaments start again in a bit.”

Fleetwood, who is next scheduled to play at the Genesis Scottish Open on July 10, has now played in the final group in the fourth round seven times on the PGA Tour. He averages 71.48 and has only broken par once. The Olympic silver medalist made only one bogey in his first three rounds - and hit every fairway in his Saturday 63 - but dropped five shots on Sunday. He is golf’s nearly man.

“This is probably as close as I came,” he said. There's been a handful of times where coming down the last with a chance. But, yeah, this was a very close one, this is the longest I've led a tournament, I think, so yeah this probably is the closest.”

When Fleetwood found water at the last while in contention for the 2020 Honda Classic, former US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger caused a storm by dismissing his achievements on the DP World Tour.

“Well it's not on the PGA Tour,” said the American. “And they know that and I think Tommy knows that. It puts a bit of pressure on Tommy.”

After his latest near miss, Fleetwood said: “Obviously there's a lot of chat about it. I would have loved to have done it today, the search goes on, I guess. When it happens it will be very, very sweet. I know I keep saying it but I haven't really been in a position where I've really been in contention to really worry about when my win might come. Today was one of those days, led for 71 holes and it didn't happen. But in my mind, yeah, I've won loads of PGA TOUR events, I just haven't done it in reality and I'm sure that time will come if I keep working.”