OPEN DE FRANCE

September 22, 2026

Tommy Fleetwood

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. Tommy, we're back at Le Golf National for the FedEx Open de France. This is an event and a course that brings, I'm sure, a lot of memories for you. How does it feel to be back?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It is nice to be back. I love coming back and playing on the DP World Tour as it is. But coming to a place and a course that has been kind to me over the years and given me some unbelievable moments, it's really nice being back.

Q. We think back to 2017; that was your second win of that season and what turned out to be a pretty remarkable year. What did that win do for you in terms of the Race to Dubai?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I started the year really, really well. I won in Abu Dhabi that year, and then I spent some time. But I was open around the race, like the top of the Race to Dubai at that time, but it hadn't really been a goal of mine to win the Race to Dubai at that point. I just sort of got my game back at the start of the year.

And then I came here. I've never made the cut before at this event, and then I ended up winning. And I think that put me at the top of the Race to Dubai, which is where I sort of started to think, oh, maybe I could win one of these.

So it was a big moment for me. I think it was -- I'm not even sure if it was the first Rolex event ever. It was my first Rolex event that I won. But it was such a big moment for me. It was on a course where I'd struggled before.

And then, yeah, so to win an event like that, it was such a big event, put me to the top of the Race to Dubai. Yeah. It was a massive moment in my career for me.

Q. This is your, I think, seventh appearance at the Open de France. You mentioned a sort of tricky history with it. How do you approach this week, given you haven't played since 2018 here?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Just look forward to it. I think it's great to come back to somewhere where you can draw on great memories. Like, you know, no matter how hard you found a place before or how many tough weeks you might have had, I think just having those good moments and those great shots to fall back on when you have done it, I think is more important than the bad stuff.

So I just think excited to come back. I played the back nine yesterday. I enjoyed walking onto the 18th green. I've had some amazing times there. And just looking forward to the challenge. I think it's such a strong golf course. It's sort of the best golf courses we play, and just seeing where my game is and how it goes on a week like this.

So, yeah, looking forward to the tournament itself, and looking forward to the challenges of the golf course.

Q. Just on the course, it's been redesigned since the last time you played in 2024. I know you haven't had a chance to play the front nine yet, but what challenges do you think it will pose this week?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's just such a strong ball-striking course. You don't really get away with much around here. There's trouble looming all the time. I think it's one of the best finishes in golf. The tournament is definitely never over until you've literally tucked in on the last.

And, yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing the changes, like 4, 5, and 6. From what I can tell on a golf course that may play similar-ish, but they're very different, different looks, different shapes to the holes.

So, yeah, just looking forward to preparing for the tournament. And then you tee off on Thursday, and it's like you know it's going to be -- like no matter how well you're playing, it's going to be a great test. I enjoy challenges like that, and I think that's what championship golf should be. So looking forward to getting out there.

Q. I know it wasn't the performance last week that you were hoping for, having not played the weekend for a while. But does that change your preparations heading into this week, or is it really just continuing on the momentum that you're on?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I actually played really well in practise. I was doing a lot of good stuff. And then I just -- I performed so poorly when it came to it.

So there's always an element when you've missed a cut or not played very well. There's things that you want to work on straightaway on a Monday and get that ready.

But you can't dwell on that too much. I might have won last week; I still have to prepare as best I can this week and do my best this week.

So trying to -- you know, don't let it knock your confidence too much, and sort of practise, do the things that you need to do, work on the areas of the game that you need to work on, and try and make sure you're in the best possible place come Thursday to compete this week.

So hopefully, yeah, you put that week behind us, and hopefully I'm just a few good shots and a bit of momentum away from getting right up there again.