ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

November 5, 2025

Tommy Fleetwood

Yas Links

Quotes

Q. Pretty good 2025. Can you rate it out of 10 for us and why?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's not finished. I'd rather rate it after the next couple of weeks. But yeah, it's been great. I think the last few months have felt unbelievably rewarding and quite a lot of special moments in there that feel very lucky and grateful for.

Yeah, it's been a great year. Obviously would rate very highly with still a couple rounds to go that could make it even better.

Q. What have you done since India?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Practised quite a lot last week. Like I said, I know the season is not over, and I felt very motivated. I've enjoyed it with my family. I think it's nice to be in your own bed for an extended period of time. I enjoyed being back with friends over here and stuff.

But yeah, I practised really, really well last week. I feel like I'm constantly trying to make improvements and I enjoyed my time practising. The game has been going really well for me. Enjoying it while it is because there's plenty of times when it's not.

I feel in good shape, I feel pressure. Feel motivated. Looking forward to it. Last week was a good practise week for me.

Q. After being so close and dignified in defeat, were there moments where you thought it was never going to come?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No, I don't think so. I look at all these weeks and I think about how well I played. It's easy to look at the most disappointing aspect of it and what I could have done more and what I missed. But the thing is, if you're going to do that, you know, you could easily -- we can easily stand there and say what a great year I've had, or look at what I didn't do and missed out on and look at the disappointments.

I go back to those events, this year, Travelers and Memphis, I look back on those Sundays where I led the tournament for so long. I controlled the tournament for a large part of it and I just didn't quite get it finished. But take the good stuff from it because without that, you know, you might not achieve like what's happened afterwards.

Yeah, it's been a lot of learning experiences. Yeah, might be disappointed at certain things. I've got to look at what's been great and all of that building up to what's been the last couple of months, as well.

Q. Going into this championship twice a winner, going back-to-back, Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey multiple winners, not at this course but is it the area or the style of golf?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I definitely learned to love Abu Dhabi National. I was going there and I had a great run around that course from winning in 2017 to some of the performances that I had there, even playing the Team Cup there, I feel like I've played great in the Team Cup as well. For sure learned to love that place.

I love playing golf in the UAE. I think it's a great time of year here. I think when you look at it, we end the season here, if you like because there's more events in the calendar year and the season starts again. But you end the season here and then that's -- you start in January and you are in the Middle East and I think both of them have a really nice feeling to them and a nice vibe. You've done great to make it to this point, and I think that when the year starts, because everybody is excited and everybody is ready to go after the new year. It's got a really nice feeling to it both ways.

Yeah, I feel like I'm getting to, like, sort of figure Yas Links out fully. It's not a course that I've been as comfortable on. Last year had a really about finish, fifth or sixth and feel like I played well last year. Make positive strides, and maybe it will be my time again.

Q. Great to see you here at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. You've won this title before but this is not the course that you won it on, nor is it the time of year that you won it on. How does that change your mindset coming into this week?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, yeah, it's very different. I think it's a different challenge of a golf course for sure from Abu Dhabi National, and I think a different time of year. Just different conditions. I think we've not had the couple of months of weather that can really firm the course out. But the course is in amazing condition, and I love coming here and trying to prepare for the tournament and figure out, like you say, having won here -- I think I had a good year last year, actually. I think I played some good stuff. But on the most party found this course tricky.

I'm really enjoying being here and trying to figuring that out and looking forward to the tournament. I think I look back at the positives of winning before, even though it's in different circumstances. You've got to take those; you've got to take all the good stuff that's going your way and continue to try to figure it out.

Q. Fantastic year, no doubt about it, winning the FedEx, India, Ryder Cup as well. Do you feel drained coming into this?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I feel pretty good. I've enjoyed every step of 2025 and the journey it's taken me this year. There's been some amazing highs, there really, really has. But I still feel motivated with two events to go in the season. I think my game has been in a great place and I've been working really well and I've been working really hard. I always look for the opportunity of what can come next.

I'm in a good place to finish the year really strong. A couple of events I love and I think I'm just very focused on the present moment and trying to finish as strong as I can, and then we'll reflect and we can be exhausted afterwards if that's what it's going to be.

Q. Off the course, Tommy Fleetwood Academy coming to Yas Links, as well, you've already opened in Dubai some time ago, a roaring success. What does that feel like to have these academies in these pristine locations with your name on?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's such a privilege. I definitely have -- every experience I have, I try and learn from them and I try and pass that down or pass that on to as many people as possible. I believe in the game so much. I've been so lucky so far to have had the Academy in Southport and have the Academy in Dubai. And DP World have been an amazing partner.

I feel pleased that I get to bring the game to as many people as possible and also help people strive for their dreams or create dreams, whatever they may be, through the game of golf.

Being able to open here at Yas Links, as well, I think -- I'm so proud of the community that we've built, and I think the fact that we can open another one is a great sign of that. I'm lucky with the coaches that we have, the ecosystem that we've built and the people that have supported it.

Yeah, to have another one and continue to build in this region which means so much to me and that has been such a success means an awful lot to me. I know this is going to be amazing from a professional standpoint in golf. The UAE has been so good to us, as pros, but the more people that get into golf the better, and you can see that's been huge for us.

Q. Compare your triumphs this season lifting trophies, the crowds and things like that compared to seeing a young kid at your Academy hitting that first pure shot and the look on their face, what's more important to you?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, both. I like both. I continue to have the most amazing time, like trying to get better at golf. Try to achieve my dreams. I have so much to thank because of the game of golf. I want to pass that on.

Like I said, watching the community that I get to see day-in and day-out, my kids are a huge part of that and all of their friends at Academy, you see the smiles on their faces from taking up the game of golf and the relationships they create at such a young age. There's so many people, my closest friends in life that I've met playing golf. You know, it can take you so many places, and watching the first steps is very, very rewarding.