SLYNC.IO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 29, 2022

Tommy Fleetwood

Emirates Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Final two holes, great way to finish?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Played really, really well. Frustrating for the most part, and it's like really difficult to compete when you're scoring really poorly. I felt like I played so much better. You look at 5, 9, 10, felt like I was just gifting shots away, which around here on a tough day you can't do and when you're playing well you have to make the most of it.

But then again, you know, you look at, felt like 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, I actually did really well. Did nothing silly. Hit good shots and if I was ever like a long distance away from the hole, got up and down on 2, up-and-down on 17, 18, felt like you took some back that you gave away early on.

Q. When you say frustrated, is that because you gave yourself a lot of chances out there and they haven't dropped?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: You want to make the most of it when you play well, but just want all aspects of your game to fire at the right time really. I feel absolutely fine. It's tough to stay patient sometimes when you're playing well and you don't make the most of it. Felt kind of proud of how I did that today. Felt like I stuck in. It would have been very easy to get overly frustrated and you give a couple more shots away. Happy with that. Sort of managed to sneak up a little at the end and it shows conditions are not that easy and you take that for granted sometimes when you get the ball in play a lot and give yourself a lot of chances but overall I'm pleased and I'd have taken it at the start of the day.

Q. What would be the mindset as you head out tomorrow?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Try my best. Stay on task which is much more of a long-term sort of project, I guess, trying to get my game back to where I want to be, and I've got a chance to do it under a bit more pressure rather than going out on Sunday -- excited to see what the day brings. Test all aspects of my game in contention and who knows, it will be nice to have the juices flowing and see where it leads.

Q. After a pink Saturday here at the Dubai Desert Classic, how nice to be involved in that charity aspect?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, of course, I like to wear pink, I think it's great. Sort of have a responsibility as you like to try to raise awareness as much as we can and it's a great thing to be part of any cause that we can make a difference to. It's been a tradition in Dubai. I actually turned up in pink yesterday. Always used to be pink Friday. I got that wrong early doors. Nice to be involved and we all do our best.

Q. Great finish.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Clearly the scoring was difficult. Felt like I played really, really well. Got off to a good start, hit a bunch of good golf shots in a row, gifted a few shots away in the middle of the round. I had eight-foot par on 5 and eight-foot for bogey. Frustrating that I couldn't make head way on the holes where I was playing really well but stuck in there. Felt like 12 was actually a really important par for me and managed to birdie 13 and coming in on holes that were quite demanding, did a really good job of hitting good golf shots and giving myself good chances as well. Getting up-and-down on 18, you feel like you've clawed a shot back.

Q. And you were rewarded for patience early in the round?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Which I think is important. When you are trying to get back to the top of the game, you want to compete in the biggest tournaments again, and when you're moving in the right direction, it's hard to stay patient when it's not happening. I was pleased how I reacted on 11.

Unbelievable shot to 9, missed the putt. 10, two good shots, horrendous chip. Just clumsy, stupid stuff like that and the way I reacted on 11 and 12 were really important and gave myself a chance. You never know how it's going to finish and I played the last few holes great. I'm just happy with my patience.

Q. These are important developments in the context of how you were feeling last year and coming into this year?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Things you find easy when you're playing well and when the game is going your way; when it's not, you feel like you're clawing your way back, it's not as easy. I just think things that come so naturally you have to be a bit more aware of.

Like I said, I was really pleased how I did that today. Looking on today, I'm so excited about playing tomorrow and getting the juices flowing on a Sunday and seeing how my game goes. I would love to be competing down that back stretch and who knows, might be my week, might not be but excited where my game is heading. You're always looking for affirmations to say that what you're doing is right, and don't sort of miss them as they come along, and I think today showing that.

Q. I greatly enjoyed the latest video from European Tour in terms of you and Shane Lowry having 50 goes at a hole-in-one. How much fun are those things to do and how genuine is always, because there was a lot of exasperation, and I'm not going to say how it finished, but it was some climax.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think we had only hit 16 at that point and I was ready to go. I had had enough by that time. It's quite frustrating a lot of the golf shots in there but you don't focus on that -- but good to do it with friends, and again, I don't think I'll be giving it a go, too frustrating for me.