Tommy Fleetwood faces having millions immediately taken away after Tour Championship win

Tommy Fleetwood has finally clinched his first PGA Tour victory, but a hefty tax bill is looming. After numerous disappointments, including a late stumble at the Travelers Championship, the Englishman managed to secure the elusive win at the Tour Championship.

His triumph came after 163 unsuccessful attempts, scooping the FedEx Cup. Southport-born Fleetwood finished three strokes ahead of Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley, pocketing the top £7.4million prize and, most importantly, ending his long-awaited quest for a title. However, he won't be able to enjoy all the winnings, with a significant chunk set to be deducted due to tax. The British golfer is bracing for a substantial tax bill after boosting his season earnings to £13.7m - second only to Scottie Scheffler. As a tax resident in Dubai since 2022, Fleetwood will not have to pay any income tax when he returns to the United Arab Emirates.

However, after clinching the Tour Championship at Atlanta's East Lake course, he will be categorised as an NRA (non-resident alien) and be subject to US federal and state taxes. Typically, foreign sports stars who win prize money in the USA without being a permanent resident or citizen are required to pay a 30% withholding tax. Consequently, it's anticipated the IRS will take around £2.22m of his prize money from this weekend.

Given his Dubai residency, it remains uncertain how much tax he might owe to His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Should he be liable for UK tax obligations, he would be entitled to claim relief under the current UK-US tax agreement. His total tax liability following this weekend's triumph remains unclear, though it will undoubtedly run into millions. Nevertheless, given the emotional scenes witnessed at East Lake, such considerations have likely not yet entered his thoughts.

Following his triumph, Fleetwood said: "When you've lost so many times, a three-shot lead down the last doesn't feel like that many. I've been a PGA Tour winner for a long time, it's just always been in my mind.

"A lot of close calls, but I've always enjoyed the challenge. This wasn't the most comfortable I've been. I feel like I've had a great attitude throughout it all. I'm so happy I got it done."

During his victory press conference, he added: "You don't need anything, but I wanted it. It completes the story of the near-misses and it has a crescendo to what has been building towards the back end of the season.

"I'm very proud of getting to these events and playing against all these amazing players. I think winning on the PGA Tour was a step that I wanted to make, and hopefully it doesn't take me as long to win another one."

Despite boasting seven career titles on the DP World Tour, Fleetwood had a notorious record of falling short in the PGA. Prior to his triumph at the Tour Championship, he had amassed 30 top-five finishes throughout his career - including six this year alone - a record for any player yet to clinch a victory. In addition to becoming only the second Englishman to win the Tour Championship, he also made history as the first player to secure a spot within the top six of the leaderboard after every round of the FedEx Cup play-offs.