Tommy Fleetwood arrives at the Dubai Invitational not only as a former champion at Dubai Creek Resort, but as a player firmly established among the game’s elite.

Now world No. 3, the Englishman reflects on a breakthrough year in the United States, the value of consistency, memories of a defining victory in Dubai, and the challenge of chasing down the two players currently setting the standard in men’s golf.

Unchanged Ambitions After a Breakthrough Year

Fleetwood’s long-awaited PGA TOUR victory last season marked a major milestone, yet he is quick to stress that it has not altered his long-term outlook.

Rather than redefining targets for the year ahead, Fleetwood sees his journey very much as a continuation of the same process that has guided him throughout his career.

He explains that his broader life and career ambitions remain intact, with the focus still on becoming the best golfer he can be. While last season placed him in unfamiliar territory, particularly in terms of world ranking, he views that success as a platform rather than a destination.

A well-earned break after an intense year has helped him reset, and as the new season begins, Fleetwood is eager to return to work, sticking with familiar routines and continuing to push for incremental improvement.

Consistency as the Foundation of Success

When asked to pinpoint the reasons behind what many described as an outstanding year, Fleetwood points not to any dramatic technical changes, but to years of steady, disciplined effort.

Consistency, he says, has always been central to his identity as a player. While the absence of a PGA TOUR win had often been highlighted, Fleetwood never felt that his underlying performance level was lacking.

In his view, last season’s run of form simply represented his ability to play, more often and more consistently, at the level he knows he can reach. The difference was not in approach, but in execution, finding himself in contention more regularly and allowing results to follow.

Surrounded by a strong support team and armed with detailed preparation, Fleetwood believes last year was the natural reward for sustained hard work finally aligning with opportunity.

Defending Champion Memories at Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek Resort holds special significance for Fleetwood, and memories of his victory there remain fresh. Central to that win was a compelling final-round battle alongside Rory McIlroy.

Fleetwood recalls the experience as both enjoyable and demanding, describing it as a valuable test against one of the greatest players of his generation. The closing stages served as a reminder of golf’s unpredictability, the need to stay patient, focused and committed until the final putt is holed.

Winning in Dubai was made even more meaningful by having his family present, adding a personal dimension to a professional highlight.

Reflecting on the course itself, Fleetwood describes Dubai Creek as a fair examination that rewards quality ball-striking. Calm morning conditions and receptive greens offer scoring opportunities, but accuracy off the tee is critical. Straying into the rough, particularly as the course firms up, quickly turns the test into a grind.

Life at World No. 3

Starting the season ranked third in the world is new territory for Fleetwood, and one he finds both motivating and exciting.

He is candid in acknowledging the gap between himself and the two players ahead of him, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, whom he regards as the clear standard-bearers of the modern game. Closing that gap, he believes, will require improvement across every area, measured in the smallest of margins.

Rather than setting short-term expectations, Fleetwood frames the challenge as a long-term pursuit. Maintaining his current level is the first priority, with any further progress seen as the result of patience and continued development rather than immediate results.

He also recognises the privilege of being mentioned in the same breath as the game’s very best, viewing it as both a compliment and a source of motivation.

Focused on the Process, Ready for the Challenge

As Fleetwood tees it up once again at the Dubai Invitational, his mindset is clear: grounded, consistent and forward-looking.

There is no sense of complacency despite recent success, nor any rush to force the next step. Instead, Fleetwood remains committed to the same principles that have carried him to this point — trust in his work, belief in his process, and an appreciation of the challenge that lies ahead.

At Dubai Creek Resort, a course that rewards precision and patience, Fleetwood finds himself perfectly aligned with both the setting and the moment.

The post Tommy Fleetwood: Calm Confidence and the Long View appeared first on Golf News.

The reigning FedExCup Champion and seven-time DP World Tour winner produced a dramatic birdie-birdie finish at the inaugural edition in 2024 to edge out Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy on the final day in his adopted home of Dubai.

Two years on, Fleetwood returns as one of the game’s standout stars. In 2025, he became only the second Englishman in history to capture the PGA TOUR’s prestigious FedExCup title with his win at the TOUR Championship, adding to his growing list of accolades which now includes three Ryder Cup triumphs.

The 34-year-old played a pivotal role in Europe’s historic away victory at Bethpage, finishing the week as the leading points scorer across both teams. His Ryder Cup record now stands at an impressive 7–3–2, giving him the highest winning percentage of any European player with at least ten matches played.

FREE ADMISSION

The World Number Five is aiming to carry his strong form into the new season and is relishing a return to a venue that holds special memories.

“I’m delighted to be defending my Dubai Invitational title in front of family and friends here in Dubai,” said Fleetwood.

“Winning the first edition was a really special moment for me, and Abdulla did a fantastic job bringing the event to life. I can’t wait to start the new year back at Dubai Creek Resort.”

Tournament host Abdulla Al Naboodah added: “We are thrilled to welcome Tommy back to Dubai Creek Resort as our defending champion. His victory in the inaugural Dubai Invitational was an unforgettable moment and set the standard for what this tournament is all about. Having one of the world’s top players return to defend his title is a huge honour, and I am excited to see the tournament continue to grow and inspire golf fans here in Dubai and around the world.”

The Dubai Invitational is the opening event of the Race to Dubai’s International Swing. Played alongside a three-day Pro-Am team format before a professionals-only Sunday, the bi-annual event features 60 DP World Tour professionals and 60 amateurs.

General admission is free of charge. Fans can now register their interest at www.dpworldtour.com

The post Fleetwood set to defend Dubai Invitational title appeared first on Golf News.

I think a mix of emotions from — yeah, proud, relieved, happy. There’s a ton of emotions that I’ll probably be feeling. It doesn’t sink in for a while. Winning doesn’t sink in for a while. But what an amazing day.

Q. You had a lot of time on that back nine to walk between the holes and walk between the shots. Walk us through what you’re thinking in your mind as you’re walking there, particularly walking up to 15.

I felt like I’d lost my swing really. I got a bit erratic from the 5th. I felt like I started the round off really well, really solid, did all the right things.

Then I hit two really poor mini-drivers, 5 and 8, but I felt like I’d lost my swing a little bit, lost my timing, lost my transition, hit a big hook off the 10th, and all my focus kind of went into my rehearsals, changed my rehearsals a little bit, changed my tempo, tried to find my transition a bit. All my focus kind of went into that.

You’re always kind of aware, no matter how present you try and stay, you’re always kind of aware of the ebbs and flows of how it’s going.

The one thing I’ve done so well in the last few weeks when I’ve had the near misses is I’ve done really well in a tournament up until the closing few holes and then you have to walk to the 15th tee and stand up on that.

I said before, I really dislike the 15th shot. The angle of it doesn’t fit my eye very well. It’s a very, very tough shot. I was really pleased with the swing that I put on that.

I was just really focused on sort of where my swing was at and trying to feel like I was doing the right things, as well as managing everything else, whether it be your expectations, whether it be the doubt that’s creeping in after the last few times that it’s not gone my way, and also dealing with the sort of reality of it felt like it was — the door was getting further and further open for me as the round went on, and sort of trying to stay level-headed about it.

Q. You’ve talked about learning throughout the entire process. What did you learn about yourself through all the near misses, especially the last few weeks keep coming back?

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.

There’s different types of mental strength. I’ve clearly got things wrong in the dire moments of tournaments, and I might have made the odd dodgy decision, might have put a bad swing on it.

But I’ve had to have mental strength in a different way. I’ve had to be resilient in terms of putting myself back up there, getting myself back in that position, no matter how many times it doesn’t go my way, no matter how many doubts might creep in.

Think the right things, say the right things to yourself, say the right things outwardly, and I am really pleased that I can be proof that if you do all the right things and you just keep going that it can happen.

Q. Now that it doesn’t matter, was there a time during the near misses where you thought, this might never happen? Did those moments exist?

Not really. The smallest thoughts creep in. But I — no, I never really felt like it wouldn’t happen. But there’s always doubt there.

But I always sort of had belief in myself that you keep knocking on the door, you keep putting yourself up there, you keep playing well, keep learning from all the near misses and keep putting that into action in the next tournament or the next tournament or the next time you get a chance, see what is going to happen.

The people that win the most — I always feel like if you look at what the best players do and try and copy it — whether you’re as good as them or not is a different story, but if you watch what they do and you copy them as much as possible, I think that’s a good way to go.

I think that the guys that win the most, they’re in contention so much; they’re up there all the time. That’s where I want to be.

I want to be up there. It’s taken me a while to get this done, like to get this first win. I’ve never looked at it as just trying to win once.

I’ve always had the mindset that I want to win multiple. I want to win plenty. It’s just that the first one seems to have taken a long time. The next one might take a long time; I don’t know.

But I’ve always had the mindset that I just want to be one of the best players in the world, I want to keep putting myself in contention, and yeah, I always felt like it would probably happen.

Q. What do you think the broader lesson is for sports people who are trying so hard to get over a line and can’t do it? You’ll be an inspiration to them.

I think people have different ways of inspiring, and I guess that my — however big or small my inspiring story might be, it was just a story of perseverance and continuing to try and put myself in those positions.

I think the easiest thing to do when it doesn’t go your way is to sulk a little bit or to let it affect you for a little while, then get back to it.

Use excuses if you like, but I said every single time that it didn’t happen for me or where I’d let one go or where someone beat me, I just want to get there again. I just want to give myself another chance.

I felt like I did that, and I felt like people — at the time, like, you just do it, but I think people have appreciated that side of it.

I think people have, I guess, found it very positive that I’ve constantly tried to just get back on the horse, just go again, just go again.

Like I say, again, it’s almost easy to say now I’m really pleased that it’s happened now, but if it didn’t happen today, I would have said the same things.

I would have said, I just want another chance; I’m just going to go back and work and I’m just going to go again. I’ve had the opportunity to prove that, that if you just keep going, it can happen. I guess that’s my story.

Q. You talk about wanting to be the best player in the world or one of the best players. Did you always feel like you had to win in America to start that process or move that along to what you wanted?

Yes and no. I think it was definitely — it’s a step in everybody’s career that they want to make. I think I’m proud — whether I’d won or not, I think I was always proud of the consistency of the level that I’ve played for a long time, and I took a lot of pride in that.

But yeah, I think winning on the PGA TOUR was a step that I really wanted to take. You don’t need anything, but I wanted it. I wanted to do it.

Again, I go back to it, this one win, it sort of — 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.

But when I go home, I’m just going to start practicing again. I’m going to start working again, and I’m going to look towards the next tournament.

There is always that side to it. I take immense pride in trying to compete with these guys out here. Very proud of playing on the PGA TOUR. I’m very proud of getting to these events and playing against all these amazing players.

But yeah, 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.

Q. What were lessons from Travelers and Memphis that you applied to today, and how so?

I think there was more positives than negatives, and I think I took away that I did so many good things until the dying moments of the tournaments.

At Travelers, I was a couple of decisions out, a couple of half clubs, a bit messy on the last. The 18th hole at the Travelers went as bad as it could have possibly gone for me.

That one I felt like I gave away, even though I also feel like Keegan won it as well. I won’t take anything away from him.

I also think in Memphis, again, you look at the most recent one, I did so many good things. I putted so well. I scrambled when I had to.

I played well on that Sunday and took control of the tournament again with three holes to go, and I didn’t hit the shots that were required to finish the tournament off.

But I took away a lot of the good stuff that I did, and I did actually start today very similar to the other days as well.

I just had to keep gaining experience, keep putting myself there. I think I did an amazing job today of — like I said, I had to reset myself.

It wasn’t easy today; it wasn’t plain sailing. I lost my swing in the middle of the round. I was really erratic, and I had to find my swing, really under —

I don’t think trying to win a tournament is as much pressure as trying to keep your playing rights, things like that.

It’s a different type of pressure. I’m not going to say it’s bigger or less, it’s just a different type of pressure. It’s a joy to be in contention and try and win golf tournaments.

But at the same time, you have to deal with those little demons that are in the back of your mind, and doubt creeps in.

You remember what you got wrong, don’t want to get it wrong again, and you have to force yourself to think of the positives.

I think I really did a good job of really focusing on trying to put a good swing and trying to hit a good shot on especially 15, 16, 17.

The rhythm that I put on those swings, I was really, really pleased with. I leaned back on that really.

I think just as experience builds, at some point you’re going to get it right, and I did today.

Q. Oscar seemed a lot more emotional than you did. What does that tell you, do you think, about how hard people wanted it for you? And why do you think everyone likes you so much?

I don’t know about the last question. Yeah, Oscar is a big emotional little baba, really.

At the Ryder Cup in Italy, he was one of the first people that I saw after walking off the course in the singles, and he was in tears then, and it’s like, he’s just — yeah.

I’m so blessed with the family that I have and the love that surrounds me and the support that I get that it just makes everything that much easier really, whether it goes good or bad.

Whatever would have happened today, I would have walked off the 18th hole, and Oscar would have given me a hug. And we’d have gone home, and everything would have been great, like everything would have been fine.

I would have been gutted, we’d have all been gutted and hurt a little bit, but life would still have been great, and I think that’s something that I would never take for granted.

But I’m so lucky with — you say why do people like me so much? I’ve always been very lucky that I make a great connection with people. I try and be — if I could give my kids one piece of advice — there’s tons of advice, but I always tell them to be a good person first, and I’ve always tried to do that.

My dad always told me that, even when I was a young, aspiring amateur golfer, professional golfer, he always wanted me to be — he always said person first, golfer second.

You’re a good person first. Whatever happens after that, you try to be a good golfer second. I’ve always tried to be that.

Q. Do you think the level of popularity you have is a result of the tough losses that you’ve endured?

I think definitely people have gathered on the train that has been me trying to chase a PGA TOUR win. Like I say, I’ve tried to — a lot of it I do — you say the right things firstly for yourself.

I’m not going to come off, when I’ve had those near misses, and berate myself and make it worse. I want to be a positive impact on myself.

I know that what I want to do is get in contention again, I want to play against the best players in the world and I want to win the biggest tournaments. I’m not going to be able to do that if I have a negative attitude, if I have a poor attitude.

I try to be positive about everything and say the right things inwardly and outwardly, and then I guess people liked what I was saying. They liked the attitude that I had.

Again, I go back to my kids. That’s the things that I want those to be like. Again, it’s easy to say that you’re resilient, but it’s harder when you have to be resilient, and I think I feel lucky that I’ve had to show that side of myself. I feel lucky it actually paid off and that I won.

But yeah, I’ve been — it’s been great, the buzz that has been around me when I’ve been in contention. I

‘ve played unbelievable golf the last few weeks, the last couple months, the last year, very consistent. But to have that buzz and to have the support here, like just to have people chanting your name coming down the last few holes, for people to be carrying you on their shoulders is a very, very special feeling, and I would never take it for granted.

Q. What were the emotions like on the 18th green? You let out quite the yell there. Can you just walk us through what that actually felt like?

I guess the first thing was probably, like, take a breath, be a bit relieved that I finally got it over the line this time and that I can move forward with trying to win multiple rather than just trying to win one.

But it’s great. Down that last hole — I was hitting such good shots on the back nine — but it was always such a big effort. Nothing was flowing for me.

I had to really work hard at it. When you’ve had as many near misses as I’ve had, three-shot lead doesn’t feel like that many even on a par-5 when I’ve striped it down the — you know, I’m in play.

Yeah, so I think I was — and also, for the last two or three holes, you could kind of — you do get a sense of the ebb and flow of the tournament, door was just getting wider and wider.

It definitely looked like it was finally my time but then don’t want to get ahead of yourself. You’ve still got to hit the golf shots.

Just proud to have shown that it’s possible if you just keep going. I’m sure there was plenty of people — as much as there was people supporting me, I’m sure there was plenty of people that were doubting me as well.

I think just to prove that if you have the right attitude and you keep going that good things can happen.

Q. You mentioned you get those doubts that start to creep into your mind, but when they come, have you learned to recognize them, or do you try to erase them? What’s the strategy there?

They’re just feelings. They’re just thoughts. They don’t need to have any impact on how you play or how you execute the next golf shot. But they’re just as real as anything else that’s going on.

You just learn that they’re going to come, that they’re going to happen. Next time I’m in contention, I’ll have doubts again and I’ll deal with it.

I’ll have my positive thoughts. I’ll have my confident thoughts. I’ll have my doubts. It’s just reality. It just is what it is.

The hardest thing was when you’ve had as many — the near misses, that the doubts — there’s going to be more doubts than usual, if you like.

Like I say, always speak to yourself in the right way, always try and do the right things. Feelings are feelings; the golf ball doesn’t know any different. Just try and put a good swing on it.

Q. Curious, now that it’s all said and done, how glad are you that we’re not going to keep asking you about getting the first win here?

Well, it’s a shame that the story is gone.

I enjoyed it while it lasted in a sick way. But I hope that I can give — that we can talk about plenty more things in the future, really.

I will look back at all of this, and again, I feel like I keep repeating myself. I’ll be proud of the strength that I had to show to keep coming back and showing that it can be done if you’re resilient enough and you keep putting yourself in those positions.

I’ll look back at it and I’ll be able to tell people that I am really, really pleased that I get to talk to kids or aspiring golfers or aspiring sports people, whatever they’re trying to do, and I can genuinely talk about showing resilience or keep coming back after tough losses and keep working and all of those things and the skills that you have to use in order to put yourself there again and then finally get it done.

I’m really, really pleased that I get to do that and that I’m proof that it can happen.

I’ll miss talking about it, but I’ll be glad that I can talk to people about what can be done.

Q. People might have chopped and changed caddies after a lot of near misses. What’s it like to have your mate beside you?

I’m sure Finno had doubts about himself. I think it’s only natural, I think, that people look at what they think you need to do to improve and what you should do and how you should go about it.

I’m never — I never get sort of too emotionally involved in what people say. I think a lot of it comes from support as well. I think people probably want the best for you at times.

But for me, I’ve been doing so many good things, and I think, yeah, there’s been plenty of times where it’s not quite happened.

We’ve either got something wrong, somebody has beaten us or whatever it is. But you also have to focus on the ton of positives that were there. There was more good than bad. Just hadn’t quite got over the line.

But I’ve spent the last few weeks now being where every player that tees it up wants to be, so there were so many good things.

Yeah, it’s great — it was great walking down the 18th — I would have kind of liked to have enjoy it more with him, but I was going into this mental cocoon of trying to get through that 18th hole and I was very much head down and zoned in and let’s get the job done.

I would have liked to have enjoyed it a little bit more with him, but we had those moments on the last green. The crowds were amazing. I got to help Finno get to have those pictures forever, and it’s another accomplishment for us two as a team.

The post TOMMY FLEETWOOD INTERVIEW: FEDEX CUP CHAMPION appeared first on Golf News.

Fleetwood heads to Augusta at the weekend, not among the favorites in the Masters betting markets. That’s understandable for a player who has not yet won on the PGA Tour but has plenty of good performances to point to over the years. Indeed, he will look back fondly at his performance at the 2024 Masters, where he finished 3^rd. It will be difficult for Fleetwood to improve on that, especially in light of the form of tournament favorites like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, yet it’s certainly not impossible.

Fleetwood has done well in the Majors

Arguably, Fleetwood’s performances in Majors have gone under the radar over recent years. The Southport-born 34-year-old has finished in the top 10 five times in the last 11 Majors, including four top 5 finishes. It’s an excellent record, and one most golf pros would love to have. He’s also brought remarkable consistency on the tours, having only missed the cut in one tournament in the last 12 months.

The question, perhaps, is what type of player is Fleetwood? He rarely struggles across his four rounds in his tournaments, yet cutting consistently appears to be the best way to keep him in the top 15 or 20 with high frequency. Thus, some wonder whether that is his limit, having a tidy, consistent game that does not have the x-factor required to challenge at the highest level. Or is he just waiting for the right opportunity?

A chance may present itself at Augusta.

We are probably in the latter camp. Sports media coverage tends to focus more on clutch moments than golfers themselves. The concepts of form and opportunity matter most to them going into a tournament of any description. We say this because it has been espoused by Rory McIlroy, who (after losing the US Open to Bryson DeChambeau last year) talked about how he gets perspective from thinking about form and opportunity. In short, if you are playing well, opportunities will come; you may take them or not.

The point, as such, is that McIlroy is not thinking about titanic battles going down the back nine. He’s just thinking about his game. Other golfers, Fleetwood included, are the same. We don’t believe that Fleetwood has the same talent level as McIlroy, but when he plays well enough, his form gives him the kind of opportunities he discussed. We saw that at the Masters last year and at The Open in 2019 and 2022. A bit of luck here and there, and Fleetwood could have been a Major winner.

Of course, all of this is hypothetical. Perhaps Fleetwood fails to shine at Augusta over the weekend, but perhaps not. He’s an unflappable character, and it will be interesting to see what he will do should the opportunity present itself in the year’s first Major.

The post Consistent Fleetwood Can Shine at Augusta appeared first on Golf News.

McIlroy defeated Justin Rose on the first hole of a play-off at Augusta National to join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen in having won all four major titles.

“Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory,” Woods posted on social media.

“Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re a part of history. Proud of you!”

McIlroy’s close friend Shane Lowry joked that McIlroy could happily retire after completing the career grand slam.

“This means everything to him,” Lowry told Golf Channel.

“This is all he thinks about, all he talks about. He always said to me he’d retire a happy man if he won the green jacket, so I told Erica (McIlroy’s wife) he can retire now.

“He’s had a long 10, 11 years, he’s had a lot of hurdles to get over and it’s a credit to him.”

Tommy Fleetwood, who finished 21st after a closing 69, added: “I’ve said it a bunch of times, I think Rory is the best player of our generation. I don’t think he’s had to prove that for a while.

“For him to have finally got this one, a career grand slam, is unbelievably special. I think this time was always going to come, it’s just Rory makes you feel like it’s not going to at some point.

“Whatever he did today, Rory’s place in golf (history) was secure, but this has just added another layer on top of that.

“I do believe he’s the best of our generation and now he’s one of the greatest of all time.”

PRESIDENT

The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins joined political leaders from across the island in celebrating McIlroy’s victory, calling it a “truly outstanding achievement”.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the Holywood golfer’s “incredible” triumph placed him among the sport’s greatest.

“This is a huge moment in sporting history, and one that has filled everyone back home with great pride and that will undoubtedly inspire future generations to chase their dreams,” she posted on X.

“Enjoy the well-deserved celebrations, Rory!”

Irish premier Micheal Martin described the win as “epic”.

“The Green Jacket is yours Rory McIlroy,” the Taoiseach posted on X.

“A finish for the ages at Augusta to win The Masters and complete a richly-deserved career Grand Slam. Epic achievement by one of golf’s greatest talents.”

The post Tiger Woods leads reaction to Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory appeared first on Golf News.

Rose’s team had won the first two sessions 3.5-1.5 and Saturday afternoon’s foursomes 4-1 to lead 11-4 going into Sunday’s singles, with just a further two required for victory.

Matthieu Pavon, whose perfect record partnering fellow Frenchman Romain Langasque had accounted for three of Continental Europe’s four points, was five under through eight holes but found himself two down as Tommy Fleetwood set the tone for Great Britain and Ireland.

HOW IT UNFOLDED

Laurie Canter put the first point on the board with a 5 and 4 win over an out-of-sorts Langasque and when Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton each moved two up with two to play, victory was assured.

Fleetwood had the honour of formally finishing the job when Pavon was unable to escape from a bunker at the 17th, securing a 3 and 1 win which was soon matched by Hatton.

Rose beat Julien Guerrier 3 and 2, while Paul Waring continued his impressive week by hammering Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 4 and 3.

Niklas Norgaard beat Matthew Jordan and Continental Europe took three points from the final four games to finish, with wins for Antoine Rozner and Matteo Manassero, while Continental captain Francesco Molinari and Rasmus Hojgaard each halved their matches.

FUTURE RYDER CUP CAPTAIN

Rose, widely touted as a future Ryder Cup captain, said: “I’ve loved the challenge, loved the experience of it and the lads have made me look incredibly good at it.

“The way they’ve played was first-class. We tried to go out and be relentless, play wave after wave, had a big lead coming into today and I think everyone thought we could get the job done.

“Match play is a momentum game for holing the key putt at the right time. The margins are always smaller than maybe the scoreboard looks but I think it was an incredible way for us all as individuals to start the season.”

Ryder Cup star Fleetwood, who won all four of his points across the week to embellish his formidable record in team events, said: “It obviously feels great, what an unbelievable group of lads we had this week and an unbelievable captain, so just a pleasure to be a part of it.

“Everybody just played so well. I always find it very motivating and inspiring being around the lads in a team environment, you want to get the best out of yourself. Happy that we got it done this time and sure we’ll enjoy it later.”

The post Justin Rose hails ‘relentless’ GB and Ireland side after Team Cup success appeared first on Golf News.

The 39-year-old Englishman recorded the lowest score of his DP World Tour career to get to 19 under and set the the record for lowest 36-hole score to par in Tour history, opening up a comfortable lead over first round leader Tommy Fleetwood, Johannes Veerman and Danish pair Thorbjørn Olesen and Niklas Norgaard.

Waring had eight birdies over his first 17 holes, also holing his approach for eagle at the sixth, but saved the shot of the day for the 18th.

After a wayward drive became embedded he was given a free drop but could still only chop his second back onto the fairway. From 250 yards he hit a perfect fairway wood which fed down to four feet from the pin to leave a routine birdie putt.

Veerman added a 67 to his first round 63 to get to 14 under from the first group of the day with Norgaard joining him after firing seven birdies in his bogey-free 65.

Fleetwood joined the leaders with his 68 before Waring surged ahead. Olesen then added his second eagle of the day at the last to join the chasing pack.

Meanwhile, Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy added a second 67 to sit on 10 under par. A triple-bogey on the par-3 17th undid much of his early good work, but he fought back with a birdie at the last to sit nine shots off the lead.

Waring, who is attached to Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai,  said: “Since moving over to Dubai I’ve got very used to putting on these style of greens and I feel like I can read them well.

“My putter is behaving, which is often a weak spot for me, and I feel like Im swinging it well.

“Although I’ve got a nice lead at the moment, someone might have caught me by the time I tee off tomorrow. Everyone is still going to fire a lot of birdies so if I’m going to be involved on Sunday afternoon, I’ve still got to keep pushing. keep making birdies, and see where we end up on Sunday evening.”

For all the scores from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship click here. 

The post Waring surges into five-shot lead in Abu Dhabi appeared first on Golf News.

What do they have in common? A love of golf and the thrill of playing on three of the greatest links courses in the world – the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, from October 3-6.

Among them is former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale who is playing for the second year running. Widely regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and one of the greatest Welsh players of all time, he is famous for some spectacular goals.

In nine years with Real he won 15 trophies, including three La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues. He shot a one-under-par at Carnoustie in his first Alfred Dunhill Links last year.

The roll call of sporting celebrities who are swapping their bats, boots, scrums and surfboards for their golf clubs is impressive.

Cricket provides the biggest group, five-strong, led by England’s record-breaking fast bowler Jimmy Anderson, Ashes winning captain Michael Vaughan and batsmen Kevin Pietersen, Allan Lamb and Mark Nicholas.

Also playing are record-breaking Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave, who has played in every Alfred Dunhill Links since 2001, Springboks Rugby World Cup winning flanker Schalk Burger Jnr, Denver Broncos John Elway, one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of American Football, and 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater.

Slater is the amateur all the professionals want to play with as he has twice partnered winners – Simon Dyson in 2009 and Thorbjorn Olesen in 2015. The hugely popular American, recognised as the greatest ever surfer, finished third in the Team Championship in 2009 and described it as “the best week of golf of my life.”

With a prize fund of $5 million, the event incorporates two separate competitions – an individual professional tournament for the world’s leading golfers and the Team Championship in which the professionals are paired with amateur golfers, creating a unique atmosphere.

Last year’s professional winner Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, won both the Individual title and the Team Championship with his mum Sue. He will be back with Sue to defend both.

Among those who have confirmed they will be playing are some of the biggest international stars in the game. Tommy Fleetwood is playing again after winning the Olympic silver medal in Paris and hoping to go even further than in 2019, when he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Team Championship, while Padraig Harrington and Tyrrell Hatton will be trying to become the first ever three-time winner.

Also in the field are Major Champions Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed and Danny Willett, plus crowd favourite Billy Horschel, winner of last month’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.  

This year there is a strong local challenge led by Bob MacIntyre, winner of the Genesis Scottish Open and the Canadian Open earlier in the summer, and Grant Forrest, Calum Hill, Scott Jamieson, David Law, Richie Ramsay and Connor Syme.

For the first three days entry is free. Only tickets for the final day, October 6, on the Old Course, need to be purchased.  To purchase tickets, visit www.alfreddunhilllinks.com/tickets/

The post Sporting legends under starter’s orders at St Andrews appeared first on Golf News.

As things currently stand, you’ve moved up to 12th in the world ranking, but how would you assess your year as a whole, bearing in mind we still have a few events left on the DP World Tour to complete?

I feel like I’ve ground out some decent results this year without having had my best stuff. I’ve never felt completely comfortable with my swing, although there have been periods when it’s kind of clicked together.

It can get frustrating at times when you’re swinging it well, but then you’re putting is a bit off, and you don’t feel like your results are representative of how well you’re playing, but golf is like that sometimes. 

I was proud of the way that I hung in there to make the Tour Championship as that could easily have got away from me, so to finish inside the top 20 in the FedEx Cup was decent. 

Aside from winning in Dubai at the start of the year, and finishing third at the Masters, and, of course, second in the Olympics, I have had some good results this year, but nothing great that was going to have a massive impact on my career. It’s been consistent without many fireworks, if you like. 

Except for finishing fourth, it is often said that winning silver is the hardest Olympic medal to celebrate, as it means to you came close to winning, but didn’t quite get the job done. Is that how it felt for you? 

There’s a big part of me that was disappointed, of course, but at the same time, growing up I never dreamt that I would be an Olympic medallist, or be in with a chance of winning one, so to have an Olympic medal of any colour hanging around my neck is something I’ll always cherish. 

Even on the last hole in Paris, normally I’d have sort of given that chip a go. I missed it, and I know I’ve lost the tournament, but I was still very nervous standing over that six-foot putt to win the silver medal. It was a very different feeling to standing over a putt to finish second in a regular tournament. 

Overall, I’m unbelievably happy with the way the week went and the way I played. I enjoyed it so much. I take that away from it. It was an incredible crowd and atmosphere to play in front of, and it was such a great tournament to be a part of.

I haven’t been in the mix that much recently, and I think being back at Paris National, where we enjoyed success at the Ryder Cup in 2018, and playing well and feeling how I felt again, made it a very special week. 

It’s obviously unique atmosphere representing your country. You played in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without crowds, so how did it feel to have the fans back waving the Union Jack and cheering you on?

I think the crowds were amazing, and it was a very different atmosphere to what we get to experience week-in, week-out in terms of the number of fans that are out there supporting their nation. It was just a completely different vibe and one that I really enjoyed. 

I think the leaderboard was unbelievable, and I think it was a great spectacle for golf and it was fun being a part of that. If you’re not going to enjoy those times, then you’re not going to get much happiness from the game of golf.

I enjoyed competing against the best players in the world for something that is so sought after and so cherished in the sporting world. This isn’t going to happen again now for another four years – by which time I will be 37 – and I was keenly aware that I might not get another chance to do this.

There was a lot of talk afterwards about whether 72-hole individual stroke play is the right format for the Olympics. Where do you stand on that topic?

As it [the Olympics] feels like one of the biggest prizes in the game, I feel like it deserves to played in the same format as all the major championships. I feel like the 72-hole format is the way to determine the best golfer of the week. Having said that, I would love there to be another event alongside that, whether it be a team event or a mixed event with men and women. I don’t see many of other events switching up their formats for the Olympics, so I don’t think that golf should feel any pressure to come up with something different. People seemed to like it. 

Your best finish in a major is still your second behind Shane Lowry in The Open in 2019. Does that seem like a lifetime ago now, and at the time did you see it as a failure on your part?

Yes, it does seem like a lifetime ago, but no, I didn’t see it as failure – but I was certainly very disappointed at the time.  I think using the word ‘failure’ can sometimes sound a bit harsh. Finishing runner-up at The Open equalled my best-ever finish in a major. It also depends on how you finish second, as well. It wasn’t like I was three shots clear and threw it away. 

Elite sport is all about small margins, and you win some and you lose some. I guess it’s how you bounce back from those disappointments that counts.

Given the career journey you’ve been on – coming up through the amateur ranks, onto the Challenge Tour, playing the European Tour, and now the PGA Tour – has that made you more adaptable to playing in a variety of course set up and conditions than perhaps other players? 

There are obviously significant differences to how the courses play from amateur golf in the UK, to those on the professional tours in Europe and the States, and all over the world. As you know, I played a lot of links courses as an amateur, and then as soon as you turn professional that’s not something that you get to experience much outside of the Open Championship and the Scottish and Irish Open, although they are not always held on traditional links.

I think I’ve always had a good sense of what I feel like I need to do to adapt and what I need to learn, and I’ve always enjoyed travelling, seeing new places and experiencing new courses. I’ve always put in plenty of hard work, and the rewards are there. 

Some of your best performances have come on links courses. Is that when you’re at your most comfortable – battling the conditions and having to be more creative?

Yes, links golf is something I feel very comfortable with. I grew up in a links town [Southport], and although I wasn’t a member of one of the links courses there, I’ve played on them a lot. When I’m at home I will go and play Hillside with my dad, things like that, so links golf is more part of whom I am as a golfer that it is for a lot of other professional golfers. It takes a different kind of preparation, but as soon as I’m a links course I feel pretty comfortable with what is needed.

You’ve won all over the world, but you haven’t won on the PGA Tour yet. Is that something you’re keen to tick off the bucket list?

Yeah, thanks for reminding me! I think any European player would be lying if they said winning in America wasn’t the next step for them in their career, and I’m no different. 

I haven’t done it. In the grand scheme of things, winning in America is something that I need to do. I’ve had chances and sometimes somebody’s played better than me, and there’s been times when I’ve hit the wrong shot at the wrong time. It is what it is, but I think at the present moment I am pretty happy with where my game is trending and I like the work that I’m doing, so hopefully things will fall into place and I’ll get over that hurdle one day.

Could you conceive there being a European Ryder Cup team without Jon Rahm in it in America next year?

As we’ve seen over the years there can be Ryder Cup teams on both sides that are without a particular player, so that might well be the case next year or any other year. That’s the nature of the event and the qualifying criteria. 

The Ryder Cup has always been much bigger than any individual player, and while there are always players who can bring certain things to teams, there have always been discussions around who is and who isn’t in the team – that was very much the case in Rome last year – but that’s pretty much forgotten once the matches begin. 

You don’t want to lose anybody that you know that you can have there, but at the same time, the Ryder Cup is much bigger than all of us.

I think if you’re going to play for Team Europe, you should be a member and a part of the Tour in some respect. I’m not saying it has to be necessarily super strict, but following the regulations as they are at the moment is the right thing to do.

Given your experience of playing in the Ryder Cup under a variety of captains, how important is that the captain has a strong connection with the group of players at his disposal? And if that is the case, do you think the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia will be out of touch with the new generation of players coming through on the European circuit, making it harder for them be to be considered for the captaincy in the future? 

I think it is important for the captain to have a great connection with the players, for sure. But who knows what a team of players will look like in the future and who that captain can be or will be? There are clearly a few guys, including the names you have mentioned, who have been a huge part of Team Europe, and you can’t take away what they have done for the team over a long period of time and the success that they have had.

I feel like it was definitely the right call for Luke [Donald] to carry on the captaincy after what he achieved in Rome. Players’ opinions don’t necessarily matter that much. The captain will have earnt that right to be the captain, but I think you have to have a strong current relationship with whoever is playing because it will struggle to work otherwise.

Are you keen for the impasse between the LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to be over so the best players can get back to competing against each other more often? 

I think pretty much everybody that has a passion to get the most out of their career wants to test themselves against the best players in the world. We did it this year in the majors, so that’s one side. And then you have to listen to the fans that are so important to the game and see what they want.

Getting the superstars of the game to play together more often is probably in the best interest of the overall game. What that looks like, how many times do you that, whether is four enough or should it be eight or 20, who knows? But I think from a players’ perspective, testing yourself against the best players is always a great thing, and you get a lot of satisfaction out of that if you manage to play well.

The post TOMMY FLEETWOOD INTERVIEW appeared first on Golf News.

On a thrilling final day in the outskirts of Paris, the American was flawless from start to finish, reaching 19-under-par as he surged to victory, highlighted by an impressive back-nine 29 to underline his status as the world No.1.

Team GB’s Tommy Fleetwood fell just short of emulating Rio 2016 gold medalist Justin Rose as a closing 66 saw him have to settle for silver, one shot behind at 18-under.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama rounded out the podium finishers with bronze, finishing a shot further back.

Frenchman Victor Perez delighted the home crowd with a brilliant final-round 63 to finish solo fourth at 16-under, with Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm sharing fifth at 15-under.

Scheffler trailed overnight co-leaders Xander Schauffele – who was targeting back-to-back golds – and Rahm by four shots but showed his pedigree to follow up a fast start with an electric finish that included a run of four straight birdies from holes 14 to 17.

The victory is Scheffler’s seventh title of what has been a remarkable year, which already included his successful title defence of The Players Championship and his second green jacket at the Masters Tournament in April.

Fleetwood held a share of the lead with Scheffler on the 17th tee, but a miscued chip shot from behind the green led to a costly bogey and he was unable to find a birdie at the last to force a playoff after his approach over-shot the green.

“There is part of me that is disappointed, but I never dreamt I would be an Olympic medallist so I am unbelievably proud and happy with how the week went,” Fleetwood said. “Standing on that podium with a medal was one of the most special moments I have ever had.”

Matsuyama, who held a share of the halfway lead, lost ground on Saturday with a level-par 71, but he bounced back in style with a bogey-free 65 to medal in his second Olympics.

Earlier in the day, Rahm seemed on track to win gold for Spain as he opened up a four-shot lead around the turn, but back-to-back bogeys at 11 and 12 thwarted his momentum. A double bogey-7 at the par-5 14th further hurt his hopes before he missed out on the podium altogether with back-to-back bogeys on his final two holes.

RORY RUES COSTLY VISIT TO THE WATER

McIlroy finished alongside his Ryder Cup teammate after a spirited closing 66, with a double bogey at the 15th when he found water with his approach ultimately ending his chance of a medal.

Summing up the week’s experience, McIlroy said: “I still think that the Ryder Cup is the best tournament that we have in our game, in terms of pure competition, but I think this [the Olympics] has the potential to be right up there with it.

“With how much of a shit show the professional game of golf is right now, you think about the two tournaments that might be the purest form of competition in our sport, we don’t play for money in either of them. So it speaks volumes for what’s important in sport. I think every single player this week has had an amazing experience.”

For the final scores from the Olympic men’s golf competition click here. 

The post Scheffler wins gold with sizzling final round 62 appeared first on Golf News.