Tommy Fleetwood is one of the more affable golfers to be around.
From the time this journalist was present in 2013 at Gleneagles when Fleetwood was holding aloft the trophy of a first DP World Tour victory, and with his much-loved ailing dog Maisie beside him, to more than a decade on in having captured 10 world titles and been a proud member of two winning European Ryder Cup sides, Fleetwood’s not changed.
Of course, Fleetwood’s latest individual taste of success at the 2025 PGA Tour Championship was one of the more illusive wins in the ten, though what a joy it was for golf fans the world over.
Fleetwood has never denied anyone when he’s been courteously approached, even following last week’s horror second round 78 in defence of his Dubai Invitational title, the England golfer, who turned 35 yesterday (January 19th), was ever obliging in speaking to the waiting media while others would have simply headed straight to the clubhouse, not wishing to see or talk with anyone.
BIRTHDAY BOY’S ONE GOLFING WISH ….
With 10 pro wins already in his pro career, Tommy Fleetwood @TommyFleetwood1 celebrated his birthday yesteday (Jan 19).
What was his golfing wish ?@DubaiDCGolf @EmiratesGC
Read: https://t.co/LyDxGf50BN
DPWT
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/mYxh4XjOAW
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) January 20, 2026
The World No. 3 was a guest of the media earlier this day at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, an event he’s well supported for 15 straight years since 2012.
An indication of Fleetwood’s appeal with the written media in the fact a transcript of his chat with the media tallied just over 4,000 words while others you’d be lucky to get a few hundred.
Of course, there were questions of what’s been happening in men’s pro golf and outside of the competition ropes Fleetwood handled without any discomfort but it was Fleetwoods’ remarks in addressing the next ‘chapter’ in his golf career that is easily far more refreshing to write about.
In this regard, next April will be Fleetwood’s 42nd major championship showing and returning to the Masters where he produced a best finish of T3rd in 2024, and with his best results in all those majors being being runner-up in both the 2018 US Open and runner-up to Shane Lowry at the 2019 Open Championship.
“I’m a big believer in goals and dreams. I think you have, for me, I have my lifetime dreams in the game from when I was a kid, and they are still going,” said Fleetwood.
“Then, yeah, goals, I just think they set up the direction in what you work to every single day. You know, I think you should set goals high. I don’t necessarily think it’s that important to achieve them. I think it’s more the process of setting those goals and striving for those and seeing where you get to”.
Fleetwood continued on this theme and singling out a ‘family’ moment that we witnessed last Sunday, minutes after Spaniard Nacho Elvira won Dubai Invitational.
“I don’t live and die by whether I achieve what I want to or not. I love having those things to aim for, and every now and again, you get — like moments come through the year that you can picture and that you can go for”, he said.
“I think, you know, in India, I think it was a perfect example when I got to win with Frankie running on to the 18th green.
“That was a moment we can envision when we talk about it, and it’s one of those things that I happened to live and achieve it. I think things like that come up and you work towards them. There’s a level of your golf game I think is very important to work towards.
“I think the best players in the world obviously play at a very consistently high level. It’s not just about winning one tournament or two tournaments. They work towards making their game as good as they possibly can, and you know, see where you go from there and see what you achieve from there. I enjoy doing that. I enjoy that standard and working towards that.
“A hundred percent, majors are there, and everybody that plays the game would love one of them, two of them, three of them, whatever it is, you (want to) put them on your resumé, and I always look towards that.
“One of the disappointing things of 2025, as good as my year was and finishing the year at world No. 3 and so much good stuff, my major performances were not what I would want, really. I didn’t feel like I contended in any, and I didn’t play how I wanted to in those events.
“So that’s something I can look towards how maybe I can do something different preparation-wise or play better in those to see if I can get to Sundays in a major in contention a little bit more.”
So well said, Tommy.
And by the way, a very happy birthday.
