PIF SAUDI INTERNATIONAL POWERED BY SOFTBANK INVESTMENT ADVISERS

February 4, 2022

Tommy Fleetwood

Royal Greens Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Obviously you seemed to tame that wind today. How did you get on?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Early doors it was obviously windy. Started off really, really well and birdied 10 and 11, made a really good par on 12, and then I holed -- even though I three-putted 13, I holed good putts on 14 and 15.

Scored really well, really, on that back nine, and then the front nine with the wind picking up you're not going to continue to hit great golf shots, so you've got to kind of accept that. I missed a couple of short putts on 2 and 3, which was frustrating really but managed to get back on track pretty sharpish, made a couple good up-and-downs. Overall just happy I can sort of sit in now in the afternoon and watch them play.

Q. Phil said he enjoys more playing in conditions like this; do you kind of feel similar to that?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I think obviously you have to -- it puts higher emphasis again on club face, controlling the ball. It was very, very difficult, it really was, and you just have to have a good mindset about it and hit good golf shots and stuff like that. Yeah, I'm happy playing golf. Whether it's beautiful flat calm or a bit windy, I don't mind.

Q. What will be the plan for the weekend? You're right in the mix going into it. Is there any kind of mindset or game plan you take with you?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Just keep doing the same. Feel like my game is progressing nicely at the moment. I spoke about how I feel like I'm working on the right things, and I feel like I'm building some momentum, and I just have to keep doing that. Again, two days gone, I've put myself up there at the right end of the leaderboard, and we'll see what we can do at the weekend. I'm doing a lot of good things, and I just have to keep focusing on that and doing my thing and go from there.

Q. Is there anything that's happened at the start of this year that's put you in the frame of mind that you're hitting the ball well, you're happy with how you're playing? Is there anything to that?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Just I'm working on the right things. Got a good structure, good simple structure. Focusing on a couple of key areas, trying to drive it better, and at the moment just trying to hit one shot off the tee and put it in play more and give myself a chance to play from the fairways a lot more. And doing that really, being focused on it.

I'm not putting as well as I would like. I would really like my putting to sharpen up. But the more good rounds you put together, the more you sort of move yourself up, the more confidence you build and you keep going from there, and that's all you can do.

Q. Obviously Bryson withdrew. Did that impact you in any way when you go from a 3-ball to a 2-ball? Are you maybe held up a bit more?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No, I mean, I was playing with Lee. I get on great with him. I guess in a way with the way the wind was, it was easier and a bit of an advantage for us that we could take our time. Never really got in a position where we had to rush. So I think that actually played to our advantage a little bit today.

I hope Bryson is fine. I hope he gets back from his injury, and we'll see. But for today I think -- yeah, playing in a 2-ball with someone you get on really, really well and you're close to, it's a good thing, I suppose.