ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 1, 2025

Tommy Fleetwood

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Pleased to be joined by world No. 7, Tommy Fleetwood. Back at St Andrews this week, riding the high of the Ryder Cup one, how excited are you to be back here?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I'm very excited. I've played this tournament every year since -- I actually got an invite the year I was on The Challenge Tour. So that was 2011, and I played it every year since.

So I've always loved coming back, and I have -- I've played it for I don't know how many years now. I live close and I have a lot of friends that play this tournament. On top of that, it's the Old Course is one of the places we play. Like they are three of my favourite courses in the world.

It's a great tournament, and yeah, no matter whether it's a Ryder Cup year we play in or not, I always love coming back, and I still dream of actually winning a tournament at the Old Course and being on that 18th green. It's just not happened yet.

Q. There's been some videos on social media recently, a lot on the bus. Talk about that bus. Is there anything better in golf or sport? And also, the "Euros on Fire."

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, the bus ride in Rome, since that one, it was so spontaneous and the best bus ride we've ever had in Rome. All of us, like without mentioning it, all of us I think had an image of that bus ride on the way home from the golf course to the hotel at Bethpage at the end of of the week.

When you think of, there's so many moments that you can pick beforehand in terms of a vision or as a goal, whether it be someone holing a putt like Shane did to win; you can envision that moment. Or you can envision Luke lifting the trophy in the ceremony. But the bus ride was one of those things, and you know it's going to be a high. You know it's going to feel amazing.

So yeah, we were all looking forward to that journey, and it's becoming -- it will be tricky at Adare Manor, we will be staying on site. If we can get one to go around the block for a while. Yeah, that one we were excited about. It's a high moment for all. We're lucky that we have those songs and chants that fit and we can get them going on the bus. Yeah, it's an amazing 30-minute ride home, that.

Q. Did you feel a growth in stature --

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No. It's the Ryder Cup, you're nervous the entire time. I think as you go on in the week, like Friday morning, Friday morning is such an intense feeling to start. No matter how nervous you are, everybody else is feeling the same, and you have to remember that. The way me and Rory started and how well we played on that Friday morning, continuing that into the afternoon session, and then we had another good day.

Again, I had amazing, amazing partners. The way those two guys played, it makes it a lot easier to play well and to be a good partner out there. You're always very proud of whatever contribution you can give to the team. So yeah, individually, that felt great. But no, I don't know what it looks like from the outside or how people see it or how people think. I feel very motivated. I was wanting so badly to do my part for the team last week and be a good teammate, whether you're playing well or not, that's what you want to do.

Q. A few might be surprised at the party afterwards, you wrapped up relatively early, at 3 or something like that. Were you all just out of gas by that point or did a few of you have a few extra sessions?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I didn't. I was definitely out of gas, and I left before it finished. It's not that easy to play a full week of Ryder Cup golf and then try and party all night. It's just not that easy.

Nelson was the DJ, and I said to him at 1.30, I'm done and going to bed, I'm so tired. Apparently they just kept it going. The guys that were there wanted to keep it going. It was a longer night for some than others. But yeah, I don't have the capacity or endurance to last a full night with some of those boys.

Q. Did you try and take advantage, is there a snapshot of the celebrations you'll always remember?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I mean, the bus ride is a really good one. I think holding the trophy up at the end all together when we finally had done what we came there to do, I think it felt so satisfying. Felt like you go through a lot together that week.

But yeah, I think it went all the way to the very end. Shane holed that putt which we knew had retained it, which is great. Then we needed the guys to come in, Tyrrell and Bob at the end there, to come in and actually make sure that we won the Ryder Cup. I think was still kind of nervous at the time, and then you can enjoy it and the presentation came and you can hold up the trophy in front of your fans. I think those are the times that we'll remember the most.

Q. On the stick that you all took, you were prepared for that. Was there any aspect of that -- and do you have any concerns going forward to Adare Manor that there will be some payback to the American Team?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I don't know. There's a big difference between -- like there's a big difference between a hostile environment and personal comments. Again, I think we were all prepared for it.

It's not -- of all the talk that there's been, it's not about the entire U.S. fans or the crowd. Like I don't think that we should be sort of using that as a whole. I have so many friends that are Americans and that were at the Ryder Cup, people close to me, saying, I've got to support my own team, things like that. That's just what it is. You're going to get a tough environment when you get to an away Ryder Cup.

Yeah, personal comments can go too far, and you obviously hope that that doesn't happen again, or it shouldn't happen. But it's just so out of our control, and I think Keegan and -- you just have to understand what you're getting into and what you're there for and go play golf.

Like I say, how many people were there? 50,000 people? 60,000 people? You can't have a go at everyone because the majority don't do that. I have no hard feelings about it at all. Like I said, it helps that we won, obviously. It's hard to tell 50,000 people to act the right way. I think that's one of the amazing things about the Ryder Cup is the home fans or at way fans and the atmosphere that it creates. Who knows what happens in the future, but this particular Ryder Cup, we were all very prepared for and it showed how we played.

Q. Was there a future Tommy captain we saw on 16, the peace maker there?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Again, Ryder Cup, I thought the situation got blown out of proportion from the minute it happened. I think it's obvious to see on the TV, Justin wanted his space, like he was getting ready to hit and he wanted his space. Could have said it in a nicer way, probably, like he said but an intense moment. I was right there when he apologized straightaway. At that point, like, it's done. Really, people get things wrong in the moment. Justin said I'm sorry. Some people wanted to make it a bigger thing than what it was. You know, so then you hold your ground, and that's just what happens, really. But yeah, it was blown out of proportion at the time but it was over in a few minutes.

Q. Obviously Luke and Justin are mentioned as possible captains at Adare Manor but Frankie Molinari could be someone. Can you talk about that?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, we'll see what happens. I think the ball is probably in Luke's court, and I think he's earned that. Justin is going to be playing in the Ryder Cup when he's 102 years old, maybe. Like we might have to wait awhile for Justin to be a captain.

And Francesco, I spoke to Francesco about it numerous times. I think the respect he has for his peers and the players, his accomplishments and his experience, I think goes a long way to being a Ryder Cup Captain. It's up to the individual if they want to putt their names forward and see where it goes from there.

Whether it's Luke or anybody else, I think we have an amazing blueprint as Team Europe, and I think we have amazing captains lying in wait that will do an amazing job. We'll see where we go in the future. But I think we are in good hands for a long time.

Q. You touched on running out of gas on Sunday, but going from Ryder Cup to Dunhill, how do you mentally, physically, reset for a week like this?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, this week is such an enjoyable week. I feel like there's a lot of things this week that can reset you mentally.

I'm not going to do very much physically the next few days. I'm tired. My body isn't feeling it that much. I have a lot of friends and there's great energy in that sense. I love coming here and having a good time. I hope that I can get to a straight start in the tournament and have a great chance this week and have another good week. So we'll see about that.

Obviously I'm going to be here and I'm going to try my absolute hardest. Physically, I'm turning up here and I'm feeling really good and excited about playing golf. They are three great courses that I love playing with great friends, great people. There are a lot of things that are giving me energy, and that's the stuff that I'm looking forward to.

Q. You just said you love St Andrews. Perfect day here?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: That's a very good question, actually. Preferably not 50-mile-an-hour winds.

Like yesterday, like a nice, calm day, blue skies, I think is hard to beat in golf.

Q. You talked about your teammates and give them a lot of credit but on Saturday, you earned your sixth foursome point. You're one of the only people to ever go 6-0 in foursomes, and you won here, too, in the Pro-Am event. What is it about the team environment that makes you thrive?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I always say, I've had very good partners in the Ryder Cup. That's one of the first bits.

I think having a teammate definitely brings out the best version of yourself. I try, especially in those environments, to let my game be confident whenever I play with. I feel like it's hard to be in your own sort of best friend than being your teammate's best friend when you're out there. So probably mentally, I'm better with someone next to me trying to get the best out of them than I am doing it to myself. So that's something I can work on.

So I do, I just love being out there. I love the competition. I love having a partner, someone to lean on, and then I love being the one that someone might need to lean on as well. I think we all have that as The European Team. I think that's something that we just have so naturally.

Yeah, team golf has been good to me.

Q. With the backdrop of everything going on with the crowd behavior, how did it feel to win the Nicklaus-Jacklin Award presented by Aon?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it was a nice surprise, actually. It's one of those awards that you don't obviously have it as a goal because you just are out there play golf. The ultimate is winning the Ryder Cup, and you try and do everything the right way, the right spirit. You try and be -- I try and play the way that I would respect playing against in that sense.

Yeah, I really didn't expect to get it. I know Justin got it two years ago. I enjoyed chatting to him; look, we are the only two that won this award. It was a really nice thing to have at the end of the week. I genuinely surprised.

Yeah, I always try and set like good examples to my kids and to everyone else. And to have an award that for that is really sweet.

Q. Saturday --

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Again, going back to that, when you're on a team, when you're part of a team, partners, teammates, whatever it is -- whatever happens, we're going to back each other up. If it was the other way as well, I'd be there for him.

Yeah, that's something that you want, and you don't necessarily have to expect it but you want someone by your side. We've got each other's back, and we know that and sometimes you just have to show it.

Q. You mentioned Trevor Nelson. I just saw his Instagram, delighted to be surrounded how do you know him?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Just we know him through my wife, Clare; her cousin is Nick Grimshaw. So we know quite a lot of people from BBC Radio and stuff like that. I can't actually remember where we met. Known him for quite a long time. Always in touch and asked him. He DJ'ed at my wife's birthday. We were looking for someone to do it at the Ryder Cup and he nailed it, actually. He's good. He's good at what he does.

Q. Who wrote the songs for the bus, and who has the worst voice in your opinion?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I probably have the worst voice. I'll put myself at the bottom of that list. The songs, it depends, actually. A lot of times, Gibbo is there, he's at the front. We have like definitely a bunch that are universal that keep getting played over and over again. I don't know who I would want, actually. I'm always in the middle of the bus and have no idea who is at the front.