Never Stop Showing Up: Lessons from Tommy Fleetwood’s Long Road to Victory

This wasn’t just about winning—it was about perseverance proving itself over time.

Golf as a Mirror of Life

One of the reasons I love golf is because of the stories—the life lessons that unfold from this most challenging and beautiful game. Golf has a way of revealing who we are. It can bring out the best in us or the worst, depending on our conscious choice of how we want to show up. And if we’re willing, it teaches us lessons that strengthen our inner Self.

The Long Road of Tommy Fleetwood

The latest story is Tommy Fleetwood. Winner of the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup. The Super Bowl of golf. But it’s not just the victory that inspires—it’s the long road that got him there. The guts. The grit. The resilience.

Near Misses and Heartbreaks

Tommy had seven wins on the European Tour, but after 163 tries on the PGA Tour—nothing. In that stretch, he collected six runner-up finishes and thirty top-fives. Time and again, he put himself in position. Time and again, he fell short.

Owning the Pain, Refusing the Victim Role

After losing the lead late at the Travelers Championship, Tommy said:

“It hurts. When it calms down—the most stupid thing to do and the worse thing to do would be make a week like this a hindrance to what you do going forwards.”

That’s the beauty of his mindset. He acknowledged the sting of defeat, felt the hurt, but refused to play the victim. Instead, he made the conscious choice to turn pain into fuel, to use the loss as a stepping stone.

Another Close Call at St. Jude

Not long after, at the St. Jude Championship, another opportunity slipped away. Speaking to Sky Sports, Tommy reflected:

“I’m obviously going to be disappointed… but we move on. There’s another week that’s next, and I’ve just got to reflect on today, keep pushing forward, and try and put myself in that position again.”

The Power of Patience, Persistence, and Perseverance

Patience. Persistence. Perseverance. These aren’t just nice words—they’re the foundation of a life well lived. Tommy embodied them, even when reporters questioned him about choking, or not being able to close on Sundays.

He could have accepted that story. He could have let doubt become his identity. But he didn’t. He kept showing up. He did the work. He persevered through the inner noise. And then, on one of the biggest stages in golf, with the top thirty players in the world chasing the prize, he broke through.

The Breakthrough Victory

After hoisting the trophy at the Tour Championship, Tommy reflected:

“I think it’s easy for anybody to say that they are resilient, that they bounce back, that they have fight… it’s different when you actually have to prove it. I’ve had to be resilient in terms of putting myself back up there… I’m really pleased that I can be proof that if you do all the right things and you just keep going, that it can happen.”

That’s the lesson for all of us. To make resilience one of our highest qualities—not only in golf, but in whatever purpose we are called to. If we keep doing the right things and keep showing up with unwavering belief in ourselves, good things will happen.

Faith in the Process

But let’s be honest—it’s not easy. Tommy will tell you that. I’ll tell you that. Showing up day after day when the results aren’t there takes radical faith. Sometimes the breakthrough comes tomorrow. Sometimes it takes years. The question is: will we keep doing the inner work, regardless of what the external world shows us?

That is my work. That is our work.

My Own Presence Path

As I create Men of Presence Sacred Circles and write Presence Golf: A Sacred Path to Self-Mastery, I’m called to show up with the same patience, persistence, and perseverance. My email list may be small, but every week I meet powerful men who are doing the work. They inspire me to let go of numbers and embrace the depth of every soul this message touches. The possibilities are infinite when we trust the true Self.

A High Five to Tommy

So, Tommy, I give you a big high five. Thank you for modeling what it looks like to never give up on yourself. Your long road to victory is more than a golf story—it’s a story of life, of faith, of never stopping showing up.