V. KRISHNASWAMY: Welcome, I know it's not your first visit, but it's been a long time since you've came here, and you've had a fabulous year, FedEx, Ryder Cup. How does it feel to be back here?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, thank you. It is nice to be back. It's been nine years, I think it's been. I was struggling back here back in 2016. That was my last time. So it's great to have come back.
Yeah, thank you. It's been a really good year. I think overall, throughout the year, especially the summer, I think I played very consistently, and work on my game really well.
And then just the last month or so, I managed to get that win on the PGA TOUR. It seemed like a really big thing, a big story, and the Ryder Cup came. Just being a part of that winning team was something that was very special.
So yeah, 2025 has been filled with a lot of good things, but there's still three more events to go. So just focused on now and trying to make sure I finish as strong as I can.
V. KRISHNASWAMY: You have everything on your resumé, except one thing, a bunch of Top 5s in the majors. Is that the goal for 2026?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's definitely something in my mind and I'll have written down. I feel like majors are absolutely career-defining tournaments, and I always try to feel like all the hard work I put in, I try to make sure I feel like I have a major winning game if you like going into those.
This year was actually, as good as the season has been, it was a poor major year for me. I didn't come close to being in contention or competing in those majors. That's something I'll look back on and be slightly disappointed in, but also take away the lessons and look at what I could do better going into next year. Like I said, I feel like my game has been really good but those majors I just lacked getting into contention.
Again, there's four of them a year. They come fast and sometimes it just doesn't happen for you. Yeah, I'll be looking towards those next year and try to give myself the best chance I can.
Q. Two questions from me. First one, your position in The Race to Dubai this year, this is going to be a big week for. What are you feeling about this tournament, and if you have to qualify for Abu Dhabi?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I think -- look, there's always -- I think that's the thing in golf. There's always something to play for. There's always something else that comes up. There's always something else that you will end up striving for no matter how high or low you sit in any kind of rankings.
For me, I think I've -- I don't want to use the term "take it for granted" but I've always played -- qualified for the last events. But yeah, it's something that I have not had to think about for a few years.
Strange season. Again, you look at -- you talk about what a great season I've had, and achieved some great things. But similar to the majors, really. I look at the year I've had ton Race to Dubai and where I sit, and it's kind of disappointing to be that far down and not really competing at the top end of The Race to Dubai.
But I've always believed that wherever I am, I'm just trying to work on the right things, try and continue to improve because that's the most important thing. I'll stay focused on this week. I think that's all I can do. And yeah, try and have the best week possible. Try and finish the season as strong as possible.
Q. And secondly, we had a long interview in Turkey, if you remember, and you spoke a lot about yoga and how it helped you become calmer, become better. Can you tell us all about what it has meant to you, doing the yoga and meditation?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I haven't done yoga for a while, actually. I need to get back into that.
I remember when I had a huge phase of that when we were talking, I remember I was really struggling with my game and I was in a bad place, having the worst period of golf that I had had, I feel like part of -- as hard as I worked and all the decisions that I made to try and get my game back at the time, I feel like meditation was a huge part of that. Because I had to sort of really re-wire my confidence and things like that.
I still do that to this day. I might be a bit sporadic with it, but I really feel like it's a powerful tool and I feel like it's very, very important. I think there's a lot of goals that I set or visualizations that come in in a week or a tournament, or you know, wherever it may be, and I feel like meditation is a big part of that and it helps me a lot.
So yeah, like I would always advise anybody when they are thinking about things like that. I would say definitely do it. Yeah, maybe the yoga is something that I need to, I'm not old yet but I could still do with moving my body better.
Q. My question to you is: Have you had a look at the course and what are your plans for the week? What are your plans on the weekend after you get free from the course? Rory said he wanted to watch a game of cricket. What are your plans?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I'll be going back home on Sunday night. I'll celebrate in Dubai on Monday. Look, I think the course is so good in terms of, I think you can have a definite strategy in how you want to play the course.
I can't imagine many people doing it, but you can be as aggressive as you want, really, in terms of the clubs you're hitting off the tee. But overall you have to put the ball in play. Hitting off the fairway makes a huge difference and you have to control your iron play. You have to be patient, and you have to be strategic. And I really like that about golf courses when we get to play those.
And I feel like it puts me in a good mindset I feel like when I go on the range this afternoon, I can practice for what the course requires.
And yeah, I think even -- me, I've not been back to India for a while now. But I feel like the game is growing so much, and especially with the younger generations, I had some juniors that were walking around with me today.
I think that's something that I am particularly very passionate about is growing the game at a grass roots level. Getting juniors into the game and watching it grow from that end, and hopefully, like tournaments like these and getting the players to play here, hopefully can be some sort of motivation or inspiration to grow the sport and get kids into the sport and hopefully it will be a great week.
Yeah, I feel like there's so much potential in this country and region and what we can do with the game and how the game can help so much. Yeah, hopefully we can go a long way from here.
Q. You finally broke through on the PGA TOUR. What mental shifts do you bring into a tournament like this in an unfamiliar environment?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I think there's so many similarities week-in and week-out in terms of -- yeah, we don't know this course as well as others with it being the first time that we're back here for a while.
But I think you arrive, and you want to work to get your game in the best place it can be, and you look at the strategy and what's required for this course and you practice that.
I think for me personally, I'm still very focused on, you know, whatever tournaments I have left this year, I want to continue to try and play well, continue to build on -- there's momentum there that I've gained throughout the summer, and a lot of consistency in my game. And hopefully I want to continue to do that.
I feel like my game is still in a good place. I still feel very challenge and still looking forward to the challenge and still have things that I'm aiming for. So this has been great. I'm really excited. I travelled on Monday. I got to the course Tuesday morning, and I was excited to get on the putting green and I was excited to see the course.
But yeah, we've got four days of tournament golf now, and I'm sort of excited to get going.
Q. An event of this stature, it's one of the biggest in India in recent times. What would make it a success in your eyes for the fans and golf in India?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Hopefully we can put on a good showcase of the sport. You know, we have a lot of great players. The DP World Tour is an amazing tour, and hopefully we can showcase the sport in the best possible way.
I honestly think success here would be seeing growth in the game in the country, seeing a lot of interest, at all levels and at all ages. You know, this could be an amazing point in where we can grow the game and get as many people into it as possible. You can look as far ahead into the future as you want and start reaching for the stars.
We'll focus on now and hopefully we can just put on the best event possible, play well, have an amazing finish to the tournament. I'm sure we're going to get an amazing champion, and hopefully we'll get a lot of people into the game, as well.
Q. We have seen you share quite a few golf tips and lessons. What's that one piece of advice you would tell to amateur club golfers?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: That's a tough one. I feel like there's a lot of tips and advice you can give.
If club golfers can start with trying to get around with one golf ball is always kind of very cheap, and so I feel like my dad, that's always his form of success in a round of golf no matter what he's shot, he has the same golf ball in the end. That will definitely save strokes if you can do that. And by the way, putting the ball in play and being sensible.
Q. Your son has been the man of the hour; is he enjoying it?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: He's having a great time, actually. I feel very lucky that I get to bring our kids to such amazing places, really. I think it's something -- I actually didn't get to travel until I was about 14, 15 years old. Frankie to have been as many places as he has and still get the chance to visit new cultures and new places I think is great.
He absolutely loves the game. Like, he loves golf and he loves being around the golf courses and the tournaments and everything. He's like such a big source of inspiration for me and motivation. So it's always great having him around.
Q. You're always known as the "People's Champion." It's not an attribute many athletes get to wear, only a very few chosen few get to wear this "People's Champion" title. How does that make you feel? And how difficult is it to hold onto your old school values?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think I'm very driven by the values that have been instilled in me as a kid. I think I've been lucky to have great parents that started me off. I have an amazing family now. You know, very lucky that I just get to be myself and get pushed in the right direction whenever it's needed to.
But I've always been very lucky with the connection that I make with people and I make friends wherever I go, and I've always been very grateful for the support that I have. I feel like, yeah, it's sort of continued to grow, especially with like the story of this year when I was in contention quite a lot and couldn't get it done.
You know, I've always felt like I just want to do the right things and whenever it's sort of, you know -- you always try to be positives and always try to say the right things. I think people just sort of resonated with it a little bit. I was very sort of grateful that people liked it and they supported that and they joined in the story.
I do; I always feel like the support that I get, I feel like I'm playing -- yeah, of course it's an individual sport and I'm chasing my own kind of goals and my dreams, if you like, but I feel like people are doing it with me. I always feel like they can carry me at certain times, and I'm always grateful for the love and the support that I get.
Q. How do you get up again? I remember watching the St. Jude Classic when Rosey won, and all the top five finishes, but then going on to win the FedExCup, how do you do that?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think the obvious first thing is that whatever happens, I mean, what's the point in letting it have a negative effect on whatever happens next? I mean, it's just pointless.
It's obvious, but then it's obviously harder to do. I think always with me, any time I had to do an interview after something like that happened, I felt like it was really important. I feel the same feelings as everybody else. I could have moped or sulked or been angry. But I really wanted to try and rewire as quickly as possible and see the positives because like, you know, there's plenty of things that you can kick yourself for. There's plenty of things that you can get wrong.
But you're going to have to play next week or the week after that or the week after that, and there's absolutely no point in letting anything have negative impact on what happens next. All those times where I came really close, I had a bad week, and then so many people that week -- there's times when I've played tournaments and I've been really happy finishing 20th because I had a good Sunday. So there's so much good there, that that's the stuff you should focus on.
Of course there's things that I would want to improve on and things that I know I might have got wrong, and I'll work on those things. I'm not going to lie to myself and say everything was great. I know I've got things wrong.
But the important thing for me is to give yourself the best chance every time you go out and play, having a positive attitude and a good mindset is very important for that.
Q. Is it harder now that you've won the FedExCup?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Not really. I think there's different challenges for everything. When things are going well, one of the hardest things that any sports person has to deal with is your own expectations. You have to mange your own expectations. Like I say, different things have different challenges.
You know, I've missed out on winning that many times that I always knew that I wasn't going to let one win change anything. My game is still what it was where, you know, the week before Atlanta. And even on the Sunday, my game is still the same, even when I walked off the 18th green and I know I have to improve to be the best player I feel like I can be, and I just want to keep working on that.
Q. Everyone is talking about you and Rory being the superstars this week. But another star we are not talking about is DP World, your sponsors, as well. You've been with them quite a few years now. Can you talk to us about that association and what they mean to golf now given what they are doing for the entire tour?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I remember being sat down when DP World announced the Tour, The European Tour became DP World Tour in 2022 or whenever that was. I remember sat there then and it was a pretty big announcement then, really.
As professional golfers that play on the Tour, our lives -- that's what we play for and that's how we earn our living. I think we are very, very lucky and very grateful for DP World coming along and doing that. It's amazing for us.
For me to have them as a partner they have supported the Tommy Fleetwood Academy for a few years and that's been amazing. Individually, it's a massive passion of mine to grow the game at all levels from grass roots to the elite level and helping people strive for their dreams and achieve great things in the game. They have been an amazing partner with that and helped me so much,.
And yeah, as an ambassador, I can't ask for much more from them. I feel like, you know, I've been lucky to be partnered with them. I carry their name around the world wherever I go. And I do, I'm very proud of that.
So they are going to be in the game for a lot longer, and I think we are all very grateful as professional golfers that we get the support from them that we do.
Q. Did you know that a lot of Indian kids from Dubai go to play your junior tournaments?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I do know, quite a few of them It's amazing to have them there. The first day at the AJGA event is today, actually. I'm not but I'll be looking at the scores later. Just so grateful to everybody that supported the tournament. Thank you.
V. KRISHNASWAMY: Thank you so much, and have a great week.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports