Tommy Fleetwood has suddenly become one of the faces of the PGA Tour after his victory at the Tour Championship.
Golf fans were desperate to see Fleetwood win in the United States and were thrilled when he finally did at East Lake three weeks ago.
However, the Englishman is not only famous for his journey towards PGA Tour success, but also for his impressive golf swing.
Well, Fleetwood recently revealed that he modeled his game on a former world number one whom he once met at Wentworth.
Tommy Fleetwood reveals Ernie Els is his golfing hero
Fleetwood was asked whether he had any fond memories of attending the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth when he was younger.
The 34-year-old shared that he attended a clinic with four-time major champion Ernie Els, which inspired him.
Having been lucky enough to speak to Els during the session, Fleetwood then tried to model his game on the South African.
“I did, actually. So I got invited… Ernie Els did a clinic, actually, and I was eight,” Fleetwood said. “He actually became my hero from that day forth because he just happened to speak to me.
“There was a group of I don’t know how many kids, and he happened to make eye contact and speak to me. From that point on, Ernie Els was always my hero, and he still is, actually.
“I don’t remember anything about the tournament, but I remember that specific clinic and Ernie doing that.
“Yeah, that was sort of what brought me to my career. I just tried to swing it like him, and Ernie Els was my guy.”
Tommy Fleetwood needs to win in England next
Fleetwood’s biggest objective for a while had been to finally win on the PGA Tour, which he achieved at the Tour Championship.
Before the BMW PGA Championship, it was pointed out to him that he has still never won in his home country, England, so that should be his next goal.
“Yeah, again, being at home and playing in front of home crowds, and I guess as a goal and a dream, you always picture those moments,” Fleetwood added. “The crowd is such a huge part of it, and the emotional aspect of it.
“Yeah, winning on home soil is very special. Look at last week. I think that was one of the coolest things to watch, and what a special moment that was. Pictured myself winning on the 18th green many, many times.
“Ultimate dream, I’m from Southport, I’ve got Open Championships that come close to home every few years, and that is like the most powerful image for me.
“So home crowds are a huge part of what we dream of and having opportunities, so yeah, that can be another one to add to the list of things that I haven’t done yet, but I’ll continue to try.”
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