Fleetwood eyes DP World Tour Championship as one of golf's ultimate prizes

Tommy Fleetwood views the DP World Tour Championship as one of golf’s ultimate prizes, and this year, he's set on claiming it for himself.

The World No.10 has called Dubai home for two years now, a fitting base given his impressive record in the UAE, where he's won three of his seven DP World Tour titles.

Fleetwood's successes in the region include back-to-back victories at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2017 and 2018, winning the Race to Dubai in 2017, and most recently adding the Dubai Invitational title earlier this year.

Last season, he narrowly missed out on the DP World Tour Championship, finishing just two shots shy of Nicolai Højgaard at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Next month, the Englishman will return to the Earth course for another attempt at clinching the season-ending trophy.

“I think the DP World Tour Championship is one of the hallmarks of our Tour,” said Fleetwood.

“I think it’s always a good grade of a golf course when you look at the winners and the style of golfer that wins. It’s a very demanding driving golf course, which always sets up a very exciting finish.

“You always have some of the best players in the world vying for some of the ultimate titles in golf with the Race to Dubai and DP World Tour Championship up for grabs.

“There are not really many things that are more motivating than those events and you get the best players going for the championship which makes it a good time.”

First up for Fleetwood, though, is a short drive from his home in Dubai to the stunning Yas Links for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

While he's a two-time winner of the event at its former venue, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the shift to the Kyle Phillips-designed Yas Links in 2021 has yet to yield the same success for him. In his debut at Yas Links, Fleetwood finished tied for 48th, followed by a tie for 38th last year.

Despite being only ten miles from its predecessor, Yas Links brings a unique challenge, with gusty winds off the Arabian Gulf coastline capable of disrupting even the steadiest of rounds

“The wind has definitely caught me out plenty of times,” he said.

“When the event moved to Yas Links, it offered a different test. There are a lot of cross winds on the golf course that are actually going against the direction of the hole, which makes it an extremely demanding driving golf course.

“It’s a great test and a beautiful showcase of golf – the course is always in amazing condition.

“The tournament deserves a fantastic golf course and a fantastic challenge, and it certainly offers that.

He later added: “I do miss holding that trophy!

“I’ve not had it in a few years, so I do like having the opportunity to try and get that back.”