WATCH: Tommy Fleetwood Gets Emotional After Defending His Crown on the DP World Tour

31-year-old Tommy Fleetwood won the 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge in dramatic fashion, pipping his playing partner, Ryan Fox, by one stroke. The win at Sun City has brought curtains to the former’s three-year winless drought on the DP Tour.

Not a regular win for Tommy Fleetwood!

The English golfer rallied with five-under 66 on a prolonged Sunday to emerge victorious at the Gary Player Country Club. The win came under exceptional circumstances, as the game was delayed for over three hours due to thunderstorms. However, it wasn’t enough to distract Fleetwood from securing his sixth DP World Tour title.

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However, even after remaining winless for three years, Fleetwood entered the tournament as the defending champion. The Nedbank Golf Challenge was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, which meant this year’s event was its first in three years. It gave an added incentive for Fleetwood to defend his title, which he eventually did.

But how exactly did Fleetwood win the event? The Brit was three strokes down before Sunday’s resurgence, but even after a remarkable comeback, needed some help from his playing partner.

What transpired at the final hole of the 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge?

At the 18th hole of the Gary Player Country Club, Fleetwood and Kiwi golfer, Ryan Fox, remained at 11-under par. It had been a dodgy hole for Fox to go around – he had made a bogey on the 18th in all but one round at the event. Meanwhile, Fleetwood was clobbering the competition on the final day, managing an eagle and four birdies before the last hole.

However, Fleetwood missed his chance to win with a long putter that seemed destined to go in. It gave a chance for Fox to draw level and force the game into playoffs. However, the 35–year-old messed up on the 18th again, drawing a bogey, which was enough to hand a victory to the defending champion.

Fleetwood was overcome with emotion and was left teary-eyed after the confirmation of his victory. The victory means the Southport-born golfer now stands in fourth place in the overall DP World Tour standings. As for Fox, it was a missed opportunity to leapfrog Rory McIlroy at the top of the DP Tour player standings.

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