Fleetwood Starting A New Season Flying Higher Than He’s Ever Flown Before

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Defending Dubai Invitational champion Tommy Fleetwood heads into a new season flying higher in his career than he’s ever done before.

Fleetwood kick-starts a 16th year in the professional ranks coming off easily the best season in his career.

The now 34-year-old ended 2025 at a career high of No. 3 on the World Rankings, having closed out his last three events of 2025 with victory in the India Championship, runner-up in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and T3rd in the DP World Tour Championship.

Fleetwood also brilliantly made it two wins in four tournaments with his long overdue maiden PGA Tour victory a few weeks earlier at the Tour Championship.

All up, the affable Englishman enjoyed 11 top-10 finishes while he savoured a second straight success as a member of the European Ryder Cup team.

“I’m starting the year out in a different place, in a higher place in the world rankings, and a higher level of golf than I’ve ever sort of played,” said Fleetwood as reported in The National newspaper.

“The first part of it is obviously trying to make sure that is my level and I can maintain that while trying to push forward and trying to find those improvements and compete with those guys.

“I’ve always said it: we’re very lucky to have the likes of Scottie and Rory and other players that drive you to be better.”

Fleetwood will likely be in the company of the latter again at some point this week.

The Englishman is looking to defend the Dubai Invitational he won after its inaugural staging two years ago when then tournament leader Rory McIlroy sent his 72nd hole tee shot way left off the tee and into Dubai Creek.

He’ll play the opening two rounds in the company of fellow PGA Tour wwinner Kiwi Ryan Fox and with all groups being partnered by two amateurs for the opening three rounds.

There’s no doubt McIlroy will again be the player to beat not just this week but in the many months ahead this year, and with Fleetwood acknowledging Ror’s enormous talent, and also that of the game’s top-ranked in Scottie Scheffler.

“I would love to challenge them both”, said Fleetwood

“There is a clear gap, those two guys are definitely the best golfers in the world. You know, I have — I’m just one of the players in the pack behind that has some catching up to do there. Look at every aspect of my game, where I can improve, where I can pick the smallest amount of shots up to those guys.

“But it’s an amazing challenge, if you think of it like that. I think the first thing, like I said earlier, starting the year in a different position than I’ve ever been, world No. 3, and I think that’s very cool and very exciting to sort of have to think about trying to maintain the level that I’ve reached there, and I think that’s very, very exciting. And I think that’s the first thing to do.

“You know, challenging the top two players in the world, I’m not going to say that that’s something that I’m not focused on and not interested in. Of course you are and you want to see where you can get to but that’s kind of — that’s a long road ahead. That’s not going to happen next week or in a couple months’ time”.

While Fleetwood has now tasted success on four different tours in his career there still remains a major championship goal, with his best finish at the game’s highest level being second in the 2018 and also runner-up a year later in the 2019 Open Championship.

There should be no doubt that Fleetwood can go one better and win a maiden major but for this week his thoughts are clearly on retaining the stunning Dubai Invitatonal trophy.

If so, it would be a third repeat victory DP World Tour win after capturing the Abu Dhabi titles in 2017 and ’18, and also the Nedbank Challenge in 2019 and ’22.

So, how is the now local Dubai resident feeling going into a new season and what is his New Year goals.

”Well, I think everything stays. Same. I think my overall, like, life dreams still exist, and I’m still chasing those obviously”, he said.

“I still look at it as big picture and try to be the best golfer I can be, and I think there’s plenty of room for improvement still. No doubt last year was an amazing year for me and by the time the year was done, found myself like in a position in the game where I’ve never been before in terms of World Ranking and stuff like that, and the win on the PGA TOUR was huge.

“And yeah, you kind of — you sort of don’t want the season to start but the break is a nice thing as well. That’s been great.

“I’m just looking forward to getting going ahead and sticking to the same stuff and try to continue to get better”.

Well said Tommy and wishing you another winning season.

FOOTNOTE …

There is a mystery Fleetwood has brought with him this week to the year’s first DP World Tour events and that is he’s not sporting NIKE endorsed attire.

You can see in the photograph from his victory at ‘The Creek’ two years how prominent was his NIKE and NIKE shirt but not this year as Tommy’s attire over the three practice rounds was devoid of the sportswear giant’s logo, bar his golf shoes, whilst he seemed to be sporting a lululemon polo shirt instead.

The footage that’s got golf fans chattering earlier this week was shared on TaylorMade’s social media platforms, captioned: “Time for some big drives in Dubai. #Qi4D #TeamTaylorMade.”



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