DUBAI INVITATIONAL

January 17, 2026

Tommy Fleetwood

Dubai Creek Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Clearly a long way from your brilliant best yesterday with a round of 67, but today, seven birdies and a 66, how do you explain that?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Golf's hard, and every now and again it's very humbling. Yesterday was one of those days where -- I get down on myself. But when you look over it, I scored the absolute worst and everything I could do wrong, I did wrong, but I wasn't terrible, if you know what I mean. It was an accumulation of doing everything wrong at the same time. That was really disappointing, especially after I felt like I battled really well Thursday and got a good finish.

It was just important, like today even, I played the first three holes well. I was 1-over through three; I couldn't have been any worse, and eventually got it going. Just happy to play well.

I felt like my swing was better today, even though -- I wasn't miles up yesterday but I felt like I was better today and a lot closer and hit a lot more good iron shots and played much better. Still felt like I left, some, scruffy stuff, a couple poor chips out there.

But overall, it's a long-winded answer, happy to put in a good round after yesterday.

Q. Defending champion this week, 19-under par last time, you shot a last of 63 there. With a really low one, do you have a chance to challenge? It's tricky out there.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think you have to wait on the conditions and see where the leaders finish. I think today it feels lovely, just kind of mini-goals. The conditions were a bit easier today, but I thought they were going to be just as hard as yesterday.

I sort of had in my mind, let's try and get back under par for the tournament throughout the weekend, I feel that would be good. And today was a really good score. I got back to level par.

Yeah, I'd love to have a good one tomorrow. I think it's important, if I can play well, put a good score in, wherever I finish, it's like kind of build the momentum of confidence going into next week and stuff. Yeah, who knows. You get off to a really hot start on front, and you might find yourself on the out skirt of contention. If not, do your best to try and keep building.

Like I say, yesterday was a really disappointing, humbling day, but I can make the other three days good, then it won't be a bad week.