“I had my own instructions” - Tommy Fleetwood says he knew that he would get Europe's winning point at the Ryder Cup 2023
Tommy Fleetwood recently revealed that he had a hunch that he would secure the winning point for Europe at the Ryder Cup a few holes before he scored the final point.
A couple of months ago, Team Europe comfortably defeated the US by 16.5–11.5. The team had already secured the winning points with Tommy Fleetwood's 3&1 victory over Rickie Fowler, while the results of the two remaining matches were yet to come.
Tommy Fleetwood said that when he reached the 11th hole, he had a premonition. He revealed that the vice captain, Francesco Molinari, accompanied him for most of the Sunday singles.
Fleetwood was quoted as saying by Sky Sports:
"He [Molinari] has been a huge part of my Ryder Cup."
Molinari was also part of a similar winning moment for Europe in the 2018 Ryder Cup when he hit the ball into the middle of the green and Phil Mickelson ended up finding the water.
Tommy Fleetwood continued:
"As I was walking down the 11th, I said to myself that Rickie is going to hit it into the water at the 16th and that's where I'm going to win the Ryder Cup. For whatever reason, that just came into mind."
The 32-year-old golfer said that on the 16th tee, he saw Fowler's drive, which wasn't bad as per him, but it landed in the water. The score was 1 up in the Englishman's favor at that time.
"It's just strange how things like that happen, but for me then you've got to stand up and you've still got to hit the golf shot," he continued.
Tommy Fleetwood further stated that he was looking at the green, and all he was thinking was that he was just one stroke away from glory.
"I stepped up, hit the driver down a little bit and it was a great swing. I looked up and saw where it was going, so there was nothing else to do," he added.
The Englishman added that he didn't want to play any role in the team's fate at the end of the final day. However, he was aware that it could happen. He mentioned that they were all clear that everyone was on their own in the singles match, focusing on their matches.
"You focus on your own game and let the result of the whole Ryder Cup take care of itself. I had my own instructions that I was very aware of for that day, no matter what," he concluded.
When will Tommy Fleetwood play next?
Tommy Fleetwood will begin his 2024 season with the inaugural Dubai Invitational, which will take place from January 11 to 14 at Dubai Creek Resort.
Fleetwood was quoted as saying by the National News:
"It’s always nice to play events in front of your friends and family, especially one with a Pro-Am format like the Dubai Invitational. It’s great to have two weeks in Dubai and I hope that it will set me up for a big year."
The Dubai Invitational will feature the likes of Rory McIlroy, DP World Tour Championship winner Nicolai Hojgaard, Ryder Cup-winning captain Luke Donald, and Ryan Fox.