Team GB’s Tommy Fleetwood is no stranger to Le Golf National after helping Europe seal a historic Ryder Cup victory back in 2018.
Fleetwood won all four of his matches in the French capital as Thomas Bjørn’s men cruised to victory.
During the event six years ago, the rough was extremely thick and penalised any wayward drive. However, it appears organisers have been more lenient for the 2024 Olympics, and world number two Xander Schauffele is pleased with the course set-up.
Despite the favourable conditions, Fleetwood believes there are two holes which could spell danger.
Tommy Fleetwood: 1st and 10th could spell trouble at Le Golf National
Fleetwood, speaking during his pre-tournament press conference, has claimed the course is a little bit more forgiving compared to the 2018 Ryder Cup.
“I think it’s quite a bit more forgiving. I remember it being pretty thick and brutal,” said the Englishman. “But yeah, it’s a bit more forgiving. I think you’re going to get punished at times for missing the fairway. I think one ever the great things.
“The wider you hit it, the more trouble you’re going to get into. I think that’s one of the best things about the golf course.”
Fleetwood went on to highlight the first and tenth as danger holes during this week’s event.
He added: “Some holes, like to the right of 1 and to the right of 10, you can get unlucky with a bad lie, but in general, you’re going to be able to bounce that to the green where that was never a thing at the Ryder Cup. It was like, if you hit it in there, good luck.”
World number one Scottie Scheffler has also highlighted the forgiving rough after receiving advice from his caddie, Ted Scott.
Tommy Fleetwood will be confident ahead of the 2024 Olympic event
Considering his record at Le Golf National, Fleetwood could be an outside contender for a medal in Paris. He knows the course well and delivered in far more testing conditions in 2018.
And if the Englishman did win the gold medal for Team GB, it would no doubt be the most significant victory of his career to date.
It’s remarkable to think Fleetwood has yet to win on the PGA Tour. Of course, he came close at last year’s Canadian Open, but he still needs to overcome a huge barrier to truly be regarded as an elite player.
The Englishman has the game to compete; it’s now about delivering in the most pressurised moments, and it doesn’t come much bigger than the Olympic games.
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