It’s no choking matter

The golf swing involves such an unnatural motion, yet it requires so much precision. A clubface that’s a couple of millimeters too open or closed results in yards off the intended target.

Hitting even slightly behind the ball costs you distance, just like catching it too high or low on the clubface — or worse, topping or blading the shot. And that’s just on the mechanical side of the swing. There’s also the mental side of the game where yips, shanks, and balls getting gobbled up by hazards and OB markers are the nightmares faced by both novices and professionals.

There are only a few sports or games that require such precision under such pressure, but it’s this same pressure and propensity for errors that makes each solid shot all the more pleasurable.

We can make a mess of 17 holes and play just one shot perfectly on the last, and we’d be raring to come back.

Of course, the pressure on the professional game is on a different level.

While making a living in golf is the goal, repeatedly falling short of a win takes a heavy mental toll.

Just a few days ago, we witnessed Tommy Fleetwood almost get the job done, again. But like countless other times, his game faltered when it mattered most.

Fleetwood has won multiple times around the world. He has played good golf for the past 10 years or so, being a mainstay on the European Ryder Cup team.

He has put himself in contention many times, and he has the talent to stay in the top 10 of golf rankings year in and year out.

So why can’t Tommy get a win on the PGA Tour? How much will this latest choke eat at him?

Like Rory not winning a major for over a decade, the more chances missed, the more pressure builds. I am not saying Tommy Fleetwood is as talented as Rory because he is not.

But the pressure of not getting something done when you have enough talent, and have come so close so many times must be painful.

It’s not even winning a major that Tommy can’t do, it’s winning on US soil. It’s not like he doesn’t have the skills to do it either, because he does.

Whether it’s a minor event or the FedEx Cup, Tommy has had plenty of chances and often put himself in contention — but just hasn’t been able to close it out in the US.

Fleetwood has 10 professional wins, including seven on the DP World Tour. But in the US, he holds the record for the most top-10 finishes without a win (42), has posted seven top-5s in majors, and finished runner-up six times on the PGA Tour.

Just last year, he won the Dubai Invitational over Rory, with a birdie-birdie finish to win by one. It’s certainly not a question of skill — he’s proven he can perform under pressure against the world’s best. Maybe, it’s just plain bad luck.

I hope Tommy Fleetwood gets it together on a special week in the US and get that win on the PGA Tour he deserves.

This last loss at the Travellers Championship might be the most painful. Hopefully, it serves as fuel to get it done Stateside, finally.