Around about this time last year, Tommy Fleetwood was about to embark on arguably the most memorable 12 months of his career. 

The Englishman had recently set up home in Dubai with his young family, was fresh off his most recent triumph at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and had just launched his new Academy at Jumeirah Golf Estates. 

All of this was before he played a pivotal part in Team Europe’s stunning victory over the United States in the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club just outside Rome. 

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Golf Digest Middle East caught up with Fleetwood on the steps of his Academy to reflect on a landmark year. 

“It has been a great year for me. I have been spending a lot of time here at the academy, now that I live here,” he said. “I have so much pride is seeing how everything has progressed over the past year. I am watching the amount of new players take up the game, while also seeing more established golfers progress with their game. Their passion for the game has been amazing to watch and be part of. 

“Wanting to help all these players with their game and with my team has been brilliant to be part of.”

Relocating to Dubai has helped Fleetwood realise his ambitions on and off the course. 

“I am still chasing my own dreams, but to help everyone I can just makes it more worthwhile,” he added. “I do enjoy being a part of passing on what information I can. I am not a coach by any means but I do enjoy being around the game. If there are people around and are working on their game, I like to get into a conversation and do what happens naturally and pass on what I can. 

“Spending time here, I love it and being able to pass on what I have learnt is so rewarding — even if it is one person. Being part of the support team here, I get a lot of satisfaction out of that.” 

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Fleetwood is readily supported by his cast of professionals at Jumeirah Golf Estates, something he is more than happy to embrace.

“I am very, very fortunate to have the set of coaches and the staff we have in place here,” he said. “From the personalities to the professionalism, you can see the hard work they put in. I am still touring and travelling a lot, so the coaches here are the biggest part of the day-to-day operations and everyone’s experience here. I am so proud of the guys here and the great job they do and create such a thriving and safe environment here. And when I come back, I love being part of the group.” 

Despite his fame on the course, Fleetwood is not quite at the Tiger Woods level of getting recognition on the streets of Dubai. 

“I might get recognised around the Academy and the course here, but I am happy to settle at never quite being at that [Tiger] level,” he laughed. 

While Fleetwood is content with his lot, there are three more budding golfers in the family, with Tommy’s sons all showing a true talent for the game. 

“I think the biggest thing for our kids, all I want for them all is to have a passion for something,” said Fleetwood. “If it is golf, great, because I have a lot to give on that front, but whatever it is they choose, I just want them to feel passionate about what they do. 

“Whatever dreams they want to follow, I will support that. The boys are really into their golf, which is great, and I love to talk with them about their games. I like to work on their game more than my own sometimes. Especially Frankie, I started around the same age as he is now — except he is probably better than I was at that time. I see a lot of similarities in myself as a kid and all three of my boys. One question I get asked a lot is my dream playing partners, and it has to be my dad and my three kids, to see their passion for the game. As long as they dream then I am happy.”

Away from the Academy, Fleetwood was pivotal in reclaiming the Ryder Cup for Luke Donald’s Team Europe in Rome this past month, and the grin on his face let’s you know it will forever be a treasured memory, sinking the winning putt as Europe secured a
16.5-11.5 victory. 

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Just like in Paris, Fleetwood struck one of the most iconic celebration poses in Italy, and it will go on to adorn clubhouses walls across the continent in the years to come. 

“This one felt, from my own Ryder Cup experiences, more special,” he said. “Paris was my first one, then we had the humiliation at Whistling Straits. Paris, I had such an amazing time playing with Fran [Molinari], then we had a thrashing at Whistling Straits. From the guys that were on that team, to then have the motivation to win the trophy back as soon as we could, so that was what made it more special.

“We wanted to do ourselves justice and we had a point to prove after the huge loss. 

“For me to have that winning moment — to win as a team is such an amazing feeling — but I think the feeling of regaining it in that moment was amazing. There is no doubt that the American team and the era of their golf is so strong right now, so to beat them was so satisfying.

“To be in the moment and in that time, to be the one that got the winning point, was very, very special and something we will remember for the rest of our lives. You start out on Friday morning when it is ‘go time’, and that feeling that you all have, pulling that shirt on and heading to the first tee, it is so intense, and as you grow into the week, you feel so happy and so proud of each other to be part of Team Europe. And I mean not just the 12 players, there is the captain, vice-captains, the backroom staff and the legacy of the team as well. To just be part of it is amazing.”

Even the best golfers have their off-days however, and Fleetwood had a somewhat wayward drive as he marked the one-month-to-go countdown to the season-ending DP World Tour Championships at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“It didn’t land in someone’s swimming pool so it wasn’t as far left as first feared,” he said. “But it wouldn’t have been an ideal first tee shot at the DP World Tour Championship. But I struck it well!” 

The DPWTC brings the curtain down on the season, and Fleetwood is keen to meet up with his Ryder Cup teammates in Dubai.

“It will be cool to catch up again as it is a celebration of the year as a whole for everyone on tour,” he said. “Everyone who has set out from Day 1 on the tour will be aiming to finish on a high and to have us all together will be great for the tournament and also it will be so exciting to be all back together. Once you are in that team, is stays with you forever.”

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