Tommy Fleetwood ready to shed ‘$25m loser' tag and stick it back to the Americans

Is Tommy Fleetwood at last to shed 'The $25 million Loser' tag cruelly bestowed by cynical American fans? Certainly, the Englishman has never enjoyed such an advantage going into the final round of a PGA Tour tournament as he has at the Travelers Championship.
Fleetwood is on 15-under, three shots clear of Keegan Bradley and Russell Henley after a brilliant third-round 63 at TPC River Highlands at Connecticut. It is fair to say the Signature Event - complete with its $3.6 million (£2.7 million) winning cheque - is his to lose. He has not missed a fairway in 21 holes and his putter is obliging as well, as evidenced by the 66-footer he holed for a birdie on the par-three fifth.
Indeed with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler on eight behind after a two-over 72 - he started Saturday sharing the lead with Fleetwood - and Rory McIlroy also on seven-under following a 68, the extremely popular 34-year-old may not get a better chance of ending his drought on US soil. And, of course, silencing his Uncle Sam doubters.
Fleetwood will pass the $30m mark in PGA Tour earnings even if he does not prevail. Nobody has banked so much on the circuit without lifting silverware. In 149 events he has racked up five runners-up placings and 41 top 10s - the latter the most of any player without a win on the Tour since 1983.
It would be overdue and ecstatically welcomed if only for the supporters around the world who have seen the Merseysider triumph seven times on the DP World Tour and establish himself as a European Ryder Cup stalwart.
For his part, Fleetwood has always taken the Stateside ribbing in good-natured fashion and continued to do so when quizzed about his void after a sublime afternoon that featured no bogeys, five birdies and his third eagle in his last two rounds.
'I don't know, I'm on top of a lot of stats charts for players that haven't won on the PGA Tour - and to be a No 1 at something is always nice,' he replied when asked if he wants to remove the Starred-and-Striped monkey off his back.
'Yeah, of course I would love to win on the PGA Tour. I think it's an element of your career that everybody wants, and I of course want it. This year, I've not really been in contention. So this is like my first real chance, so I'm really excited about it.'
As the world No 6, Henley is probably the biggest threat to Fleetwood, standing at 17th in the rankings, although Bradley will likely receive the backing of the home support. Bradley is the US Ryder Cup captain for this year's showdown in New York and if he comes through on Sunday he will put himself into contention to make his own side.
That would present him and Team USA with a huge headache, just three months before the match. There has not been a player-captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer 62 years ago.

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