NOW FOR A MAJOR TOM
Fleetwood savours his ‘biggest day’ but says: This is just the start
TOMMY FLEETWOOD has targeted Major glory and the world No.1 spot after Justin Rose’s late collapse saw him clinch the Race to Dubai in dramatic style.
Rose took the lead into the final round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai – and needed to finish alone in fourth to become European No.1 after Fleetwood carded a scrappy 74.
But starting by dumping an eight-iron into the water on the 12th, the Olympic champion dropped three shots in five holes to slip down to tied fourth after his closing 70.
Southport star Fleetwood, who nervously watched the closing holes on TV with his fiancee Clare and seven-week old son Frankie, said: “It’s the biggest day of my career for sure.
“The emotions were difficult because even I don’t trust computers even when everything had finished. It’s like a really weird scenario – it was completely out of my hands after 12 or 13 holes. It just shows what a cruel game golf can be.
“I would have preferred it to have been easier but at the same time, it’s been absolutely brilliant going head-to-head and a bit of a dogfight with one of the greatest players in recent times.”
Fleetwood recounted how he wanted to walk off Wentworth at the BMW PGA in 2016 because he was playing so badly – and he slipped down to world No.188 in September last year.
“It has been quite a turnaround,” smiled the Everton fan, 26. “I’ll always have 2017 Race to Dubai No.1. It’s a very big thing to achieve. The big events will always be on our minds. I’d love to have a couple of Majors by the time I’m done.
“My ultimate goal in life is to be the best player in the world. That will always be the same. Whether I achieve it or not is another thing but I’ll always strive for that.”
Rose, who had won the last two events in China and Turkey, needed an eagle on the 18th to win the Race to Dubai. But he saw his long-range putt miss and settled for a birdie.
“Everything was in hand, the 12th hole was a disappointing mistake with an eight iron into the green,” he said.
“It’s a knife-edge sometimes. I’m proud of the effort I gave at the end of the year.”