Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Review

Tommy’s honour

Tommy Fleetwood emerges from a thrilling final day shootout. by kent gray

Tinker failure, Falcon Taker. Tommy Fleetwood’s journey to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title was no cinch.

Tommy Fleetwood arrived at professional golf’s figurative folk in the road, a dangerously alluring crossroad players good and great all eventually reach. ▶ It’s should be a ‘nothing to see here’ decision for those with an already proven main tour game, straight on down the crowded path Fleetwood had successfully negotiated to the 2013 Johnnie Walker Championship title at Gleneagles. Unless, of course, you might be tempted with a detour to an exotic land of repeat wins and riches beyond your wildest dreams, a place where only the elite fear to tread?

Frustrated to have stalled since his European Tour breakthrough in Scotland, Fleetwood took the turn in 2015 only to be led down a dark dead end.

“I tried changing my swing because I thought it would make me better, I thought it would make me a worldclass golfer,” the 26-year-old Englishman said. “I was a bit naive and I was a bit silly and just got going the wrong way.”

For 12 months from July 2015, Fleetwood got it going all over the place with his driver which has proven the bedrock of this game (he plotted 66 of 72 greens in regulation on The National on the back of his big stick). “I’m in a bad place with my game, not enjoying it and I’m hitting it terrible.”

Cue a call to his former coach, Alan Thompson. Reunited in May last year for a third time since Fleetwood’s formative days as a 13-year-old in the English junior set-up, by August there were embers of hope. Fleetwood duly rattled off confidence restoring results in the British Masters (T4), DP World Tour Championship (T9) and Hong Kong Open where he tied third in December. Still, even Fleetwood was surprised his swing stood up to the pressure of overhauling and then holding off three major champions in Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer and Dustin Johnson, as well as the tenacious Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat, to clinch victory in the Desert Swing opener in Abu Dhabi.

“My swing is not where we want it yet but it’s very close. We’ve been able to build a swing that we’ve always wanted to do but never actually had the chance. It’s happened quicker than I thought it would. It’s been cool,” Fleetwood said.

Also steely cool in the heat of battle in Abu Dhabi was Fleetwood’s bagman and best mate of 15 years, Ian Finnis, who had caddied for him as a junior and threw Tommy’s Nikes over his shoulder as part of a total Team Fleetwood makeover just as he was emerging from those dark days.

“To be fair there’s not a lot of people who thought it wouldn’t work. We started in July and we had four weeks - it was Germany, the BMW. Then France, Scotland and The Open and still my game was nowhere any good. But we stuck at it and knew it would come good.

“He’s been a massively positive influence. I can’t give him enough credit for how good he’s been for me.”

The 270-yard 3 wood Fleetwood struck from the rough to the heart of the 72nd hole for a title clinching twoputt birdie was the explanation mark on an enthralling championship and has given the Southport pro the confidence to stick with the game he knows. The victory propelled Fleetwood 49 places up the world rankings to 53rd and within touching distance of the top 50 and its automatic entry to the year’s major’s and WGC events. He’s risen to as high as 47 before but won’t be looking sideways when he passes by that tantalising crossroads next time.

“It’s a very big deal to prove yourself against some of the world’s best. They’ve won majors and the biggest tournaments in golf so they knew how to get it done,” Fleetwood said.

“31 [strokes] on the back nine on a Sunday is great no matter who you are, and I think that’s probably what I’m most proud of over the week. Yeah, very, very proud.”