Southport ace Tommy Fleetwood’s Ryder Cup ‘beacon of light’

Southport’s Tommy Fleetwood hopes the Ryder Cup can act as an “amazing torch” after the coronavirus pandemic.
Southport golfer Tommy FleetwoodSouthport golfer Tommy Fleetwood
Southport golfer Tommy Fleetwood

The flagship contest between Europe and the United States – scheduled to be played at Whistling Straits in September – remains in doubt, with no clear answers as to how the golf schedule may look if it resumes later in the year.

Fleetwood said: “I think there are certain events that would be an amazing torch for a turn in how the world is getting on and the Ryder Cup would be one of them that is like a shining light at the end of the tunnel.

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“It is obviously a very interesting one in terms of that qualification. For me I am fine if it stayed as it is at the moment, so I don’t mind either way if it was to be played.

“But it should take its full course. The Ryder Cup is an event people dream about and sometimes it can only happen once.”

On how the schedule may look, Fleetwood added: “I think there are five events really, the majors and the Ryder Cup – whatever happens it is going to work around those events I would guess.

“And however that works I have no idea. Those are the ones that everybody will be keen to get going and we will see how that goes and how people plan that out.

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“They are in constant conversations every day to see what the options are. Whatever happens I think those will be the ones that get put front in line.

“It will be interesting for events like the FedEx Cup and the Race to Dubai because they haven’t had a year-long order of merit so it will be interesting to see how those pan out. The truth is I have no idea.”

The golf season was put on hold after the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass earlier this month.

Fleetwood, who struggled in the opening round, admitted that the decision came as a relief and believes that the resumption of the tour is not something he can worry about at this stage.

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“It kind of escalated very quickly, from Thursday morning the announcement that we are going to play with no fans, but everything happened so quickly,” he added.

“As soon as the event was called off I got a plane as quickly as I could to get home.

“It was kind of a relief to be honest – I was missing the cut anyway having shot a million –but it was a relief to know that we could go straight home.

“At that point they still had events on and with travel bans looming you are in a dilemma whether I have to stay because I have to play and then I won’t be with my family.

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“I know through this whole process there will be constant meetings between the people who run the tour and run the sport and then we will see.

“At the moment it is out of any players’ hands or any sporting body. It is run by the governments and World Health Organisation.

“When it starts getting better, each individual sport will maybe get to make its own decisions.”

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