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British golfer Tommy Fleetwood broke his 164 PGA Tour event drought and secured victory at the Tour Championship, holding off a late surge by Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley in the opening 9 holes.

Fleetwood carded a two-under 68 on Sunday to end three strokes clear of Russell Henley and Patrick Cantlay, incomes reward from quite a few major stars in the game.

Among them was 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, who is not competing this 12 months following an Achilles injury. “Your journey is a reminder that hard work, resilience, and heart do pay off,” Woods posted to Fleetwood on X. “No one deserves it more. Congrats.”

Woods wasn’t the only distinguished athlete to have fun Fleetwood’s triumph: four-time NBA MVP LeBron James also used X to commend Fleetwood.

“Congrats and [salute to] @TommyFleetwood1! ! !” he posted. “That first one feeling is something else! Especially after dealing with adversity and shortcomings. Too [fire emoji].”

James, chosen in 2003, did not seize his first NBA championship until 2012.

Fleetwood started Sunday in a tie for the lead but admitted nervousness due to his past showings. He had recorded 30 top-five outcomes without a victory before the weekend, establishing a PGA report.

He concluded the day with a three-stroke triumph. “When you’ve lost so many times, a three-shot lead down the last doesn’t feel like that many,” he joked, “[The fans] are amazing, it makes me a bit emotional. I’m so lucky with the support I get – it’s so special and I hope everyone knows how grateful I am for it.

“I’ve been a PGA Tour winner for a long time; it is just always been in my thoughts. So much of close calls, but I’ve always loved the problem. This wasn’t the most comfy I’ve been… I really feel like I’ve had a great angle throughout it all… I’m so comfortable I received it finished.”

Rory McIlroy, who ended up tied for 23rd after an even-par Sunday round, heaped praise on Fleetwood while observing the British golfer’s final-day performance.

“I believe it shows how great of an angle he has toward the sport, how resilient he’s,” McIlroy said after his tournament concluded. “If he will get it finished today, that could be wonderful. I believe we would all love him to.”