TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 21, 2025

Tommy Fleetwood

East Lake Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. What's your biggest takeaway from today?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: That I played well, that I putted well. I think the course was as forgiving as we're going to get it, but also -- actually probably the biggest takeaway is how good everyone is at golf that's here. I think the scoring is unbelievable.

I'm sure we could talk about the fact that we had soft conditions and they were receptive, but you've still got to play, and you've still got to hit the shots.

I don't feel like -- there's not really that many shots that aren't demanding around here. I think the biggest takeaway is I feel like I played great, which I obviously did, and did everything well, but still, you should never sort of take for granted how high the standard is out here. But yeah, to shoot a good score, I'm very happy.

Q. Would you have seen a 61 that Russell put together?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's not something I thought about. I started with three birdies, so there was 59 out there at that point, but I wasn't particularly thinking about that. Unbelievable score. Just unbelievable score.

Again, I think -- there was somewhere recently where I said, like, every now and again -- it was Bob last week when he shot 8-under around Caves first round, and just sometimes people throw a round in and you just realize how good guys are.

Q. Do you think the golfing public is still coming to terms with that fact? I don't want to say 59 is not a big deal, because it is, but it's happening with so much frequency and really scores across the entire game have come down from where they were 15 years ago.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I just think the skill level just keeps getting higher and higher. I don't necessarily -- yeah, people hit it a long way and there's all that that goes into it and hitting shorter clubs into holes these days, but I just think the skills of everybody just keeps getting higher and higher.

I also think that's one of the great things about this TOUR really. Look at the standard, look at the scores people are shooting. You're not going to get anywhere that's going to push you to be as sharp as you possibly can be.

Q. This is your first TOUR Championship where everyone basically started normal like the Bahamas or just a 30-man field, go get it. Did it feel any different to you starting than it would have the previous years?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Probably. It's not something that I would -- it's not something that I necessarily thought about.

I think you have the format and you just go and play and you deal with it. It probably definitely does feel different. You look back to a year or two ago and we had that staggered start. I can't remember when they started --

Q. Were you ever here for points? I don't think you were when it was points and not the staggered start.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, 2018. I kind of remember it that way when you had both going at once. It probably does feel way different. Obviously if I was starting today, I'd have started in a good position really. I was 50 in the FedEx, so I probably would have had a decent start and then I started with three birdies, so I would have felt good. But you start 10 back and then maybe you bogey the first two, for sure that's going to feel very different. You still feel like you're in the mix with this format.

I'm sure it does feel different. It's just one of those things where when you're here, you kind of just get on with what it is and you just prepare and play, but I'm sure it does feel different.

Q. At any time in Europe, since I wouldn't know this without doing my research, did you ever play any of the different formats, whether it was the Shot Clock Masters, whether it was the Sixes matches? Do you remember the different things they've tried?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No, I never played -- no, I never played any of them.

Q. If they tried to come up with a different blueprint, is there one thing that they have to keep about golf? Can they try something new but you don't want to be too silly?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it's tough. I'm a huge fan of what -- competitive golf, I think we're all so used to it, but I'm just a fan of whatever format brings out the best player at the end of the week, from a competitive standpoint.

From a competitive and merit standpoint, whatever format allows the best player to win that week, I'm all for it. I'm probably more of a traditionalist than a lot of people, but yeah, always willing to try things without it being gimmicky. And I think that's been a struggle. It's been a struggle over time when people have tried things and it's not sort of kicked off.

I think people end up preferring what we've always had. It's like, grass isn't always greener.

You know, I don't know. I think there's something to be said if you look in other sports, like shortening formats or speeding things up has always helped in other formats. It's always hard to do that in golf.

Yeah, there's always going to be different ways to try -- I don't mind the staggered start to be honest. I thought it was fair in a way.

Q. Rewarded a big season?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think so. And I also don't mind the two going at the same time. I thought that probably worked. So I don't know. I'm sure we're going to continue to try. But as a player, you just want to -- first of all, you want to make sure you're here, and then you just want to play to the best of your ability and try and compete, and whatever they throw at you, you just want to play in whatever format you're in. I'm glad I don't make those decisions really. I'm glad I'm not involved.