2025 was undoubtedly the best season of Tommy Fleetwood’s career.
One of the biggest storylines running through the 2025 season was whether Tommy Fleetwood would finally secure his first victory on the PGA Tour. He’d fallen heartbreakingly short so many times, including at the Travelers Championship when Fleetwood lost his lead to Keegan Bradley on the last hole.
But at the final time of asking, Fleetwood took his first PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship. He was then an integral part of Europe’s Ryder Cup success in New York, forming a historic partnership with Rory McIlroy.
Fleetwood is now the world number three in the Official World Golf Ranking, behind McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. But he wants more. He outlined a clear aim ahead for his 2026 season, and he chases down the top two players in the world.
Tommy Fleetwood explains how it feels to be chasing Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler in OWGR
Ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic, Fleetwood was asked what he needs to do in 2026 to close the gap to Scheffler, following his dominant 2025, and McIlroy, who just had the best season of his career.
He spoke about how it feels to be the leader of the chasing pack between these two icons of the sport: “I think to start the year, to finish the year in a place I’ve never been before – I’ve never been that high in the World Rankings. So then you’re starting the year in that place, as well.
“I think for me, it’s been very, very exciting to, as everybody did, recap over the year. You look at what you’ve done well and things you can improve. The process stays the same. It’s just that I think the opportunity is there now to try and maintain the level I reached last year, I think that’s a really exciting prospect to see what work I can put in and how I can maintain that level first.
“And then yeah, of course, like you’re looking at two of the – when it’s all said and done, Scottie and Rory will be two of the best of all time without question. So to be sort of the guy below them at the moment and the closest one to chasing them right now, I love that.
Who will win more on the PGA Tour in 2026 out of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood?
Will anyone end 2026 with more PGA Tour wins than Scottie?
“Yeah, I will continue to strive and to try and go as far as I can, get as close as I can or get up with them. Whether that happens or not is a different story, but I think it’s very, very cool being in a position where I can look towards you’ve reached one of the three, and you’re at this level now as a golfer. How do I continue to get better and see where I can go to.”
“I think that’s just very, very exciting, like I say, enjoy putting the work in in every aspect of the game and sort of try and push on and improve on what we’ve got.”
It’s the clear next step for Fleetwood, who inserted himself into the conversation as one of golf’s elite players in 2025. And he’s bound to gain some ground on the best players on the planet if he achieves his goal for next season.
Tommy Fleetwood sets a clear goal for 2026
It seems unfair after Fleetwood took his first PGA Tour victory last season, but the conversation has to move to whether the Englishman can claim his first major championship. He’s got the talent to do so, and we all expect him to win once, eventually, so is this his year?
Fleetwood said that he was disappointed with his major performances last season and hopes to contend at the biggest events of the year in 2026.
He said, “I’m a big believer in goals and dreams. I think you have, for me, I have my lifetime dreams in the game from when I was a kid, and they are still going.
“Then, yeah, goals, I just think they set up the direction in what you work to every single day. You know, I think you should set goals high. I don’t necessarily think it’s that important to achieve them. I think it’s more the process of setting those goals and striving for those and seeing where you get to.
“I don’t live and die by whether I achieve what I want to or not. I love having those things to aim for, and every now and again, you get – like moments come through the year that you can picture and that you can go for. I think, you know, in India, I think it was a perfect example when I got to win with Frankie running on to the 18th green.
“That was a moment we can envision when we talk about it, and it’s one of those things that I happened to live and achieve it. I think things like that come up, and you work towards them. There’s a level of your golf game, I think is very important to work towards.
What specific part Tommy Fleetwood’s game do you think he must improve if he is to ever win a major?
“I think the best players in the world obviously play at a very consistently high level. It’s not just about winning one tournament or two tournaments. They work towards making their game as good as they possibly can, and you know, see where you go from there and see what you achieve from there. I enjoy doing that. I enjoy that standard and working towards that.
“A hundred percent, majors are there, and everybody that plays the game would love one of them, two of them, three of them, whatever it is, you (want to) put them on your resumé, and I always look towards that.
“One of the disappointing things of 2025, as good as my year was and finishing the year at world number three and so much good stuff, my major performances were not what I would want, really. I didn’t feel like I contended in any, and I didn’t play how I wanted to in those events.
“So that’s something I can look towards how maybe I can do something different preparation-wise or play better in those to see if I can get to Sundays in a major in contention a little bit more.”
Fleetwood missed the cut at the US Open, and his best result at a major in 2025 was T16 at The Open. He needs to do better at these events to be considered on the same level as McIlroy and Scheffler.
The Open is at Fleetwood’s home course, Royal Birkdale, this year, and he’ll be itching to put that right on home turf this season. And after his recent performances, who could bet against him?!
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