CLARE BODEL: Welcome back to Jumeirah Golf Estates, Tommy. I think it's been a bit of an odd year for everyone, but you are back here and you have pretty good vibes from a few years ago. Are you looking forward to the week.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, of course. Yeah, I think for all the guys that made it here, I think it's a great end to the year. I mean, individually, it's a massive event and then of course you've got the added part of the Race to Dubai on there, as well, which is massive.
So again it's like for me, it's another year where I've got both to look at and I've got the enjoyment of playing for both, which is exciting. I kind of like that I'm getting used to that over the last few years and hopefully I can keep that going.
Yeah, it's the perfect way to end off the year, and having a chance, and one year getting over the line. Last year, I just don't think I could have really done much more, and left feeling pretty proud of how I played. It was my best result around this golf course.
Yeah, a lot of good things. Like you say, it's like the end of what's been a difficult year for everyone, really, but we've been very lucky having a lot of events and having a chance to play, and you know, yeah, there's a lot of things to be pleased about in the golf world this year, as well.
Q. If you had to rate your year, mark your receive out of ten, would you please do so.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Be a low five.
Q. Low five?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah. Just for the sheer -- I feel like -- I might be being a bit harsh. I've just been talking about this then, and I think as golfers and as sports people and as competitors, you always look at what you could have done better.
You know, I probably am being harsh on myself. I think it's important to look at the good things I've got, here with a chance at winning The Race to Dubai. I think I've had a couple of seconds and a third on The European Tour, but those events where I played well, I feel like I would -- of course I'd like to win them and I feel like I had a good chance of, especially Portugal and Scotland. I felt like I walked away feeling like I left some shots out there, and not taking anything away from the guys that won. They were exceptional throughout week and on Sunday, but on a personal level I felt like I had more to give.
My consistency levels have not been up to what I would like them to be and I felt like there's certain things I've struggled with this year about my game. So at the same time, I feel positive about this week and going into next year, so I've learned plenty, as usual, throughout year.
But yeah, I don't feel like I've, yeah, done anything like I would have liked to this year.
Q. How are you going to fix it the next year?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I can't tell you that just yet. I'll start with this week. Might be low five at the moment but this week could easily ramp it up. Last year I had a strong finish to the year, and it made the year very, very different. I think the great thing about golf is there's always the next week and there's always the week that you're playing, and my game feels good. I played the Pro-Am yesterday. Played really, really well. Obviously like the course.
So yeah, I'm looking forward to this week first, and then move on to next year, work on a couple of things we've been working on recently on my golf swing and things like that. And it's not -- next year, there's not really as much time off as we normally have. I'm used to having five, six weeks off at the end of the year, and this year it's going to be a bit less before starting out again.
I don't really -- this week is the last week of the year, and it does feel like that, but I also feel -- I also feel kind of very fresh and like I'm ready to keep going, really.
Q. What did you get Finno for his birthday?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I actually haven't given him anything yet. I kept asking him what he wanted, and he didn't really give me a specific answer, so Christmas and birthday will have to be a joint present. It's not very clear when you ask him, you know, questions like, "What would you like for your birthday?" So I continue to ask him. I'm sure he might give you a better answer than me.
Q. Can you just give us an outline of what you have been doing for the last couple of weeks? Have you managed to find time off or have you been working hard on the game since the RSM Classic?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, partly quarantine. The courses were shut. I got a day in before we came away. I came away with a few days before this week, anyway, and worked on things over the weekend with Tommo and Finno and I just did that. The Masters, you do so much prep for major, you feel like you're ready to play the week after and then you need a little bit of a rest, I feel like a few days, and then you're ready to go again.
I think a few days off did me no harm whatsoever, and then came out this weekend, just practising, working on a couple things I said I've been feeling in my golf swing and what tomorrow mow has been seeing and try to get them on the course and put it into play, really. Yesterday it went really well. As you know, one week, two weeks, they fly by, really. Just time goes very, very quick.
Q. To follow up on that, obviously players higher up The Race to Dubai have the better chance of winning, but technically, anybody in the field can win given how many points are on offer. Is that a bit strange or are you just concentrating on what you can do?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I think it is strange. But good in a way. I think you all get to this point of the year and some people are just ready to put the clubs away. Some people are raring to go. Some people still feel fresh. Some people feel tired. And at the same time, you know that you have to concentrate on day-by-day, and go from there this week.
I think always playing -- for this week first, you concentrate on this tournament, and then let the rest take care of itself. I think the first year in 2017 when I came in and I was sort of leading The Race to Dubai, it was a completely new experience for me. I was very, very nervous. Didn't do a great job in the first round and didn't do a great job in the last round and under the pressure, but I felt like I learnt so much. I gained a lot of experience from it and have done a better job the last two years. Especially last year from the outset of that, when I was playing well, I felt like I handled the week really well and gave myself the best possible chance and just happened to come up against Jon who played better.
So yeah, I guess it's probably easier in the first round for the guys that are lower down because there's a tiny scenario for those guys, they can win it and play a bit freer. As the week goes on, and more and more starts to get on the line, I think experience probably helps a lot, so that's kind of what I'll hope for.
Q. Would you there for wait till maybe 36 holes, 54 holes before you even start to think about mathematical scenarios?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, because it does no good whatsoever, anyway. I think there's so many scenarios and like you say, start out on Thursday -- to be fair, the last two years, there's been one or two players every year that can win it, so the scenarios are very, very small and you know you concentrate on yourself but you're also only looking at one other player or two other players.
It's way too early to think; you have to go out there and play the best you can, and you know, you can easily just by sort of overthinking about it, you can easily put yourself out of it after one round or just a few holes. Just concentrate on yourself, play your game, play to win this tournament, and then both of you get into the tournament, and the better you do, and obviously it becomes harder and harder to focus on those things.
But like I said, I guess that's where experience comes into it, and that's when good preparation comes into it, and then we'll see where we stand after that.
Yeah, just look to try and have a good week this week. I feel like I take every week as it comes pretty well, and this week should be no different.
Q. With two Americans in the top three going into this week, you would think the strategic alliance has been in place for five years, never mind two weeks. What's your thoughts on that, the alliance between the two tours, and what do you think it will do for golf? Would it be a good thing for The European Tour if an American won this week?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I think whoever wins The Race to Dubai firstly will be a worthy winner. You know, you name those -- Collin and Patrick; Patrick has won a World Golf Championships this year, he's been one of the most consistent players on the planet. Collin, major winner, clearly superstars, and I don't think it will do any harm whatsoever to have their names on the trophy. Obviously planning on that not to happen, anyway.
But I think -- I don't know enough about what the strategic alliance will be or what that means. I haven't read loads about it, but I think it will be -- I do believe it will be a good thing for golf. I think golf, the way it's going, it is a world tour. I think you're getting more and more world players. I do think it will be great, and I'm sure -- at the end of the day, like kind of when we get asked questions about this, you sort of -- you try and give your opinion on it with, for me, anyway, personally, I don't have that much knowledge of it.
But what I do know is that if I continue to play well, then whatever the scenario is, it will be good for us. Nobody does anything thinking, oh, well, we'll do that because it will harm the players or it will affect the way golf is played or it will be bad for the game. So I think people should see it as exciting and the opportunities that will arise from it.
As players, yeah, we should be excited about it. So that's a very good thing.
And back to the guys, it's good for the Tour that there's Americans and superstars that are coming over and they are trying to win The Race to Dubai, no matter how many events they have played, I think it great for us, and it's great to get to this stage and be competing against those. It is one of the biggest prizes in golf. Yeah, looking forward to going against them and whoever the winner is, it will be a name worthy of going on that trophy.
CLARE BODEL: Thank you very much for joining us and have a good week.
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