Tommy Fleetwood displays on a season that has seen him enhance his world rating, win the Dubai Invitational, and convey residence silver for Workforce GB on the Paris Olympics
As issues presently stand, you’ve moved as much as twelfth on this planet rating, however how would you assess your yr as an entire, allowing for we nonetheless have a number of occasions left on the DP World Tour to finish?
I really feel like I’ve floor out some first rate outcomes this yr with out having had my greatest stuff. I’ve by no means felt fully snug with my swing, though there have been durations when it’s type of clicked collectively.
It will possibly get irritating at occasions once you’re swinging it effectively, however you then’re placing is a bit off, and also you don’t really feel like your outcomes are consultant of how effectively you’re enjoying, however golf is like that typically.
I used to be happy with the best way that I hung in there to make the Tour Championship as that would simply have gotten away from me, so to complete inside the highest 20 within the FedEx Cup was first rate.
Except for profitable in Dubai at first of the yr, and ending third on the Masters, and, in fact, second within the Olympics, I’ve had some good outcomes this yr, however nothing nice that was going to have an enormous impression on my profession. It’s been constant with out many fireworks, if you happen to like.
Apart from ending fourth, it’s typically stated that profitable silver is the toughest Olympic medal to rejoice, because it means to you got here near profitable, however didn’t fairly get the job completed. Is that the way it felt for you?
There’s a giant a part of me that was upset, in fact, however on the similar time, rising up I by no means dreamt that I might be an Olympic medallist, or be in with an opportunity of profitable one, so to have an Olympic medal of any color hanging round my neck is one thing I’ll at all times cherish.
Even on the final gap in Paris, usually I’d have form of provided that chip a go. I missed it, and I do know I’ve misplaced the event, however I used to be nonetheless very nervous standing over that six-foot putt to win the silver medal. It was a really totally different feeling to standing over a putt to complete second in an everyday event.
Total, I’m unbelievably proud of the best way the week went and the best way I performed. I loved it a lot. I take that away from it. It was an unimaginable crowd and ambiance to play in entrance of, and it was such an incredible event to be part of.
I haven’t been within the combine that a lot just lately, and I feel being again at Paris Nationwide, the place we loved success on the Ryder Cup in 2018, and enjoying effectively and feeling how I felt once more, made it a really particular week.
It’s clearly distinctive ambiance representing your nation. You performed within the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with out crowds, so how did it really feel to have the followers again waving the Union Jack and cheering you on?
I feel the crowds had been superb, and it was a really totally different ambiance to what we get to expertise week-in, week-out by way of the variety of followers which can be on the market supporting their nation. It was only a fully totally different vibe and one which I actually loved.
I feel the leaderboard was unbelievable, and I feel it was an incredible spectacle for golf and it was enjoyable being part of that. If you happen to’re not going to get pleasure from these occasions, you then’re not going to get a lot happiness from the sport of golf.
I loved competing towards the very best gamers on this planet for one thing that’s so wanted and so cherished within the sporting world. This isn’t going to occur once more now for an additional 4 years – by which period I might be 37 – and I used to be keenly conscious that I may not get one other likelihood to do that.
There was plenty of speak afterwards about whether or not 72-hole particular person stroke play is the best format for the Olympics. The place do you stand on that matter?
Because it [the Olympics] looks like one of many greatest prizes within the recreation, I really feel prefer it deserves to performed in the identical format as all the foremost championships. I really feel just like the 72-hole format is the best way to find out the very best golfer of the week. Having stated that, I might love there to be one other occasion alongside that, whether or not it’s a crew occasion or a blended occasion with women and men. I don’t see lots of different occasions switching up their codecs for the Olympics, so I don’t assume that golf ought to really feel any stress to provide you with one thing totally different. Folks appeared to love it.
Your greatest end in a significant continues to be your second behind Shane Lowry in The Open in 2019. Does that appear like a lifetime in the past now, and on the time did you see it as a failure in your half?
Sure, it does seem to be a lifetime in the past, however no, I didn’t see it as failure – however I used to be actually very upset on the time. I feel utilizing the phrase ‘failure’ can typically sound a bit harsh. Ending runner-up at The Open equalled my best-ever end in a significant. It additionally will depend on the way you end second, as effectively. It wasn’t like I used to be three pictures clear and threw it away.
Elite sport is all about small margins, and also you win some and also you lose some. I assume it’s the way you bounce again from these disappointments that counts.
Given the profession journey you’ve been on – arising via the novice ranks, onto the Problem Tour, enjoying the European Tour, and now the PGA Tour – has that made you extra adaptable to enjoying in a wide range of course arrange and situations than maybe different gamers?
There are clearly important variations to how the programs play from novice golf within the UK, to these on the skilled excursions in Europe and the States, and all around the world. As you already know, I performed plenty of hyperlinks programs as an novice, after which as quickly as you flip skilled that’s not one thing that you simply get to expertise a lot outdoors of the Open Championship and the Scottish and Irish Open, though they don’t seem to be at all times held on conventional hyperlinks.
I feel I’ve at all times had a very good sense of what I really feel like I must do to adapt and what I must be taught, and I’ve at all times loved travelling, seeing new locations and experiencing new programs. I’ve at all times put in loads of laborious work, and the rewards are there.
A few of your greatest performances have come on hyperlinks programs. Is that once you’re at your most snug – battling the situations and having to be extra artistic?
Sure, hyperlinks golf is one thing I really feel very snug with. I grew up in a hyperlinks city [Southport], and though I wasn’t a member of one of many hyperlinks programs there, I’ve performed on them rather a lot. After I’m at residence I’ll go and play Hillside with my dad, issues like that, so hyperlinks golf is extra a part of whom I’m as a golfer that it’s for lots of different skilled golfers. It takes a distinct type of preparation, however as quickly as I’m a hyperlinks course I really feel fairly snug with what is required.
You’ve received all around the world, however you haven’t received on the PGA Tour but. Is that one thing you’re eager to tick off the bucket listing?
Yeah, thanks for reminding me! I feel any European participant could be mendacity in the event that they stated profitable in America wasn’t the following step for them of their profession, and I’m no totally different.
I haven’t completed it. Within the grand scheme of issues, profitable in America is one thing that I must do. I’ve had probabilities and typically someone’s performed higher than me, and there’s been occasions after I’ve hit the incorrect shot on the incorrect time. It’s what it’s, however I feel at this time second I’m fairly proud of the place my recreation is trending and I just like the work that I’m doing, so hopefully issues will fall into place and I’ll recover from that hurdle in the future.
May you conceive there being a European Ryder Cup crew with out Jon Rahm in it in America subsequent yr?
As we’ve seen over time there might be Ryder Cup groups on either side which can be with no specific participant, so that may effectively be the case subsequent yr or every other yr. That’s the character of the occasion and the qualifying standards.
The Ryder Cup has at all times been a lot larger than any particular person participant, and whereas there are at all times gamers who can convey sure issues to groups, there have at all times been discussions round who’s and who isn’t within the crew – that was very a lot the case in Rome final yr – however that’s just about forgotten as soon as the matches start.
You don’t wish to lose anyone that you already know which you can have there, however on the similar time, the Ryder Cup is far larger than all of us.
I feel if you happen to’re going to play for Workforce Europe, you ought to be a member and part of the Tour in some respect. I’m not saying it needs to be essentially tremendous strict, however following the rules as they’re for the time being is the best factor to do.
Given your expertise of enjoying within the Ryder Cup below a wide range of captains, how essential is that the captain has a powerful reference to the group of gamers at his disposal? And if that’s the case, do you assume the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia might be out of contact with the brand new era of gamers coming via on the European circuit, making it more durable for them be to be thought of for the captaincy sooner or later?
I feel it is necessary for the captain to have an incredible reference to the gamers, for positive. However who is aware of what a crew of gamers will appear to be sooner or later and who that captain might be or might be? There are clearly a number of guys, together with the names you could have talked about, who’ve been an enormous a part of Workforce Europe, and you may’t take away what they’ve completed for the crew over a protracted time period and the success that they’ve had.
I really feel prefer it was undoubtedly the best name for Luke [Donald] to hold on the captaincy after what he achieved in Rome. Gamers’ opinions don’t essentially matter that a lot. The captain could have earnt that proper to be the captain, however I feel it’s important to have a powerful present relationship with whoever is enjoying as a result of it’ll wrestle to work in any other case.
Are you eager for the deadlock between the LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to be over so the very best gamers can get again to competing towards one another extra typically?
I feel just about everyone that has a ardour to get probably the most out of their profession needs to check themselves towards the very best gamers on this planet. We did it this yr within the majors, in order that’s one aspect. After which it’s important to hearken to the followers which can be so essential to the sport and see what they need.
Getting the superstars of the sport to play collectively extra typically might be in the very best curiosity of the general recreation. What that appears like, what number of occasions do you that, whether or not is 4 sufficient or ought to it’s eight or 20, who is aware of? However I feel from a gamers’ perspective, testing your self towards the very best gamers is at all times an incredible factor, and also you get plenty of satisfaction out of that if you happen to handle to play effectively.
