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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY GARY PLAYER

November 12, 2019

Tommy Fleetwood

Sun City, South Africa

Q. Your thoughts on being back in Sun City?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's nice to be back. Really nice to be back. I missed last year, the way scheduling worked out. Coming back, played it a few years now, and got such a great atmosphere, such a big event, it always has been. It continues to get bigger, really, and in terms of how important it is to the season everything and, coming down to the final couple of events, it's special.

Q. How much do you know about the history and how much have you followed it over the years? Did you follow the event when it was still a limited field? What do you remember of the early days?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, of course, it was always one that I watched on TV. I have massive memories of people teeing off, first when it was 12, and 9 always looked like such an easy shot when they would knock it on to the middle of the green. I think my first two or three years playing here, it was a 24-man or 30-man field, and now we've got more.

But everybody knows the event and that's when it was the Million Dollar, and I've always, always enjoyed watching it.

Q. Talk about coming here, as well, Sun City, the resort, how they look after and you what it's like being here and how tough can the distractions be to put aside and focus on the golf?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I just think everybody loves it. Everybody enjoys coming here. Everybody has a smile on their face no matter where they are. I think it's great because you come out and play and it's one of the biggest events for sure and you have plenty of stuff to take your mind off the golf, whether it's going well or it's going bad. You have plenty of stuff to do from wherever you eat to any kind of -- the water park or anything that's going on. I just think it's great that you have that many things to do and take your mind off it.

Q. How do you feel about your game heading into this week?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Feels good. Feel like I'm swinging it better now. Sort of had a disappointing time in Asia where I didn't feel like I played very well and didn't perform how I expect myself to perform.

A big push now for the last couple of events but feel like I did a lot of the work last week and swinging it well. Love the golf course. Now just a case of trying to make it count.

Q. How much does it help knowing the course better than most people? Is it a big advantage, the experience?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I hope so. It can only help. Like it really can, and there's so many -- there's things that happen and things that you have to accept out here. You need to understand what is a good golf shot and you need to understand that, you know, where you can attack the course at certain points, which isn't very often to be fair, and obviously just course knowledge and just being comfortable and knowing your way around, should alwaysm always help. It doesn't always follow but it can only be a help, not a hindrance.

Q. Have you had a look at the course? Is it playing different? Guys are saying the rough is not as penal as previous years.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I played nine holes yesterday, and the greens are definitely softer, and the greens are the best I've ever seen them. They really are the best I've ever seen the greens.

Depends on the wind and depends on sort of how blowy it gets or how strong -- the wind can gust at certain times, but it's still a test, whether the rough is up or not, the course is still a test and you have to deal with a lot of different situations.

The course itself, I think is in great condition. I know the rough is not up, but that to me, doesn't make that much difference.

Q. What do you need to do well to come out on top? What's main thing, the key for you?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think you can't do any good if you miss the fairways. You have to drive it well and hit a lot of greens. You don't have to be aggressive. There are times when you can be, but in general, the greens aren't massive. So you don't have to be going all guns blazing, firing at pins.

Strike it well, be sensible and try and pick the course off that way and be patient. You're going to make bogeys and things are going to happen and be patient and keep going.

Q. 40th anniversary of this golf course. Does it impress you that it hasn't had to change over the years?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think that's the sign of a great course. Some courses just don't have to change. Some of my favourite courses like this one, and Hong Kong one of my favourite courses, doesn't have to change to keep scoring down.

You know, there's always times when you're going to have to lengthen certain holes, but I just think that it's paramount to strike the ball well and if you don't, you can't score and I just think that's what makes a good golf course.

Q. Do you have a preference for a golf course designer?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Not really. I'm not going to label anyone out. I think they all do a good job. I think some of the guys, especially Mr. Player, obviously, they know what they are doing and they know what they want it to look like. I'm just happy to be playing them.

Q. You didn't play this event last year. How nice to be back at the Nedbank Golf Challenge?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Really nice. Yeah, just the way our scheduling works, sometimes can't do everything, and last year this, one missed out and come back and think, why would I not play this one. It feels great just as soon as you arrive here. I love the golf course. Love the atmosphere. Love the resort, and everybody does, really. It's just nice to be back.

Q. How do you feel the game is? The last time, WGC in China, maybe not the result you would have wanted. Have you taken the last week to work on anything particular?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: The game wasn't there in China, so we had to work on it. But I've done some good work last week. I feel a lot better. I feel a lot happier with where my swing is and where my head is. You know, always when you're pushing for result, you feel like you should be doing better and you can be doing better. It's difficult when you can't quite get out of it what you want.

Got two events left and you've just got to see what happens now. If it's your time, it's your time. If it's not, it's not. I have no regrets about how hard I've worked or anything like that. I think last week was great for me. Did a lot of work on my swing and had my coaches out. Definitely feels better than where we were last week in China.

Q. You've had five Top 10s this season, maybe haven't gotten that W that you've after, but how do you reflect on the season? Without a win, you've still done what you'd have liked?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: If there was a win, then the season would probably look a lot better. But you know, end of the day, that's kind of what you're looking for and sometimes that's out of your hands. I feel at times it probably was in my hands and I didn't finish it off.

Always learning. Always trying to get better, and you know, the year isn't over. There's two events left, and you don't know what can happen in these.

It's been good. I just think there's definitely -- I think the great thing is there's clearly ways where I can improve and I know where I want to go, and I've got a team of people around me that are happy to be taking the journey with me. You know, looking forward to whatever comes next.

Q. I believe 2017 was tied 10th, your best finish in this event. Do you feel like the course suits the way you like to play?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It should do. You can't get around it not hitting it well. You have to drive it well and you have to hit a lot of greens. So yeah, you can't out-putt this golf course. You have to putt well obviously but you can't out-putt. You can't start winning it and expect to get away with it.

I think if you look at the list of winners from Lee, Ernie, Nick Price, Seve, Sergio, Henrik, it's a strong list of ball-strikers, and I would very much like to be on that list.

All you can do is take it one shot at a time, but I think if I play to my strengths, if I do those things well, then it should suit me.

Q. A tough finish, but aside from that, where do you feel like the tournament could be won or lost?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Par 5s are important. You have to score well on the par 5s. I want say bogey avoidance. You have to avoid big numbers, really, which is so easy to do. I think you always kind of are one leaked tee shot away from being away from a lot of trouble. I just think keep the big numbers off, play the par 5s well.

Now thinking about it, that's good formation to doing well, and try and pick the golf course off where you can, really. It always feels like you could do even better, but I think you just have to be patient and just accept where you are and keep going. Like I say, yeah, I've made it sound good. I'll see what I can do now.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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