Abu Dhabi: Tommy Fleetwood — be ready to hear this name more often this season as the Englishman has not only looked a cut above with his all-round game, but the way he retained the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has shown that his mind is like a fortress.
The Englishman, who turned 27 on Friday, started the final round two shots behind overnight leaders Ross Fisher and Belgian Thomas Pieters.
With wind picking up pace at the end of the first nine, Fleetwood was five shots behind Fisher but he remained undeterred and turned the contest over its head in the back nine with his sheer brilliance. It was a barrage of birdies from Fleetwood amidst the gust when even the world’s best, World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy had struggled to make the surge — barely managing to make pars.
A score of seven-under par 65 with six birdies on the 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 18th holes spoke volumes of Fleetwood’s ability to come out all cylinders blazing when it mattered most.
What unfolded at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club was certainly a jaw dropping affair which also left one wondering if this is the same Fleetwood who had slipped to World No 188 at the end of the Omega European Masters in September 2016.
Last 12 months has seen a complete transformation and it all started after his win here at the capital course when he lifted the Falcon Trophy en route to his Race To Dubai victory. The meteorological rise has already firmly entrenched Fleetwood in the world’s Top 20.
The retaining of Fleetwood has reaffirmed that his comeback to form was no fluke. He is here to stay and is hungry for more. A Ryder Cup debut is finally beckoning for Fleetwood after being in the golfing scene for a good nine years.
McIlroy, who finished four shots behind Fleetwood was all praise for the Englishman, saying that it was an incredible show considering it was very tough to get close to the holes. “I didn’t hit it in the fairway very often but even when I did, it’s tough to get it within 15, 20 feet of the hole to give yourself a chance. So to shoot 6-under on that back nine is seriously impressive.
“He had a great year last year, won The Race to Dubai, No. 1 in Europe and then to just keep going. This week, defending champion, to put that round of golf together out there today, I mean, 65 in those conditions is seriously impressive. And 6-under, back nine when he needed to. He’s a great addition to the world of golf,” said McIlroy, who is already looking towards playing alongside Fleetwood in the Ryder Cup later this year.
“I think the field that was assembled here this week was very, very strong, having the World No. 1 here and you had a lot of strong players. For Tommy to defend and in such style against such a great field, it bodes well not just for him, but for European golf. It will be a great addition to The Ryder Cup team come late September, early October,” asserted McIlroy.
