Fleetwood admits the next tick in his career progression is to win in America but Azinger was seriously overplaying the significance of Sunday. And in this regard, he was simply doing his job because his role as lead commentator for NBC appears less about offering honest analysis and more about pumping up the PGA Tour. The television coverage is used as a vehicle to promote the Tour's brand and reward backers such as FedEx, as much as convey the sporting drama.

On the ‘No Laying Up’ podcast, the recently sacked CBS on-course commentator Peter Kostis provided a revealing insight. He described how he got into trouble for asking a rookie winner about how his victory would be rewarded with a place at the Masters.

"I got a phone call the next day from New York [CBS Headquarters]," Kostis said. "They'd got a phone call from the commissioner who was upset that I didn't say first off that he had won 500 FedEx Cup points.
"And he didn't want me talking about majors."

Kostis was eventually taken off interviewing duties and lost his job at the end of last year. He is clearly aggrieved but insists: "The Tour wants more control over what's being said.

Clearly the PGA Tour would argue otherwise but Azinger's words for NBC, who jointly hold the American broadcast rights with CBS and Golf Channel, reinforce a feeling that the coverage's primary function is to further the cause of the PGA Tour.

Azinger's narrative also framed a view that was Fleetwood to fail in his victory quest, it would be another choke by the Englishman in America.

But this was hardly a fair assessment of Fleetwood's career or performance on Sunday. He did not have his A1 long game for that final round, which was uncharacteristic for him, but it can happen to the very best.
He did tenaciously stay in contention, though, with a string of back-nine par saves before making a superb birdie at the par-three 17th. It took real nerve. So did the 305-yard drive - the longest of the day - straight down the middle of the final hole.

And then came his fateful second shot to that par five. An eagle to win, a birdie for a play-off. His five-wood approach flew right into the water. The toughest of shots given a fluctuating crosswind, it was a mistake to go anywhere near a pin tucked in the right-hand corner.