Tommy Fleetwood was one of Europe’s best players in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
Tommy Fleetwood almost had a perfect tournament, going 4-1-0, but lost on Sunday to Justin Thomas in his singles match.
But his biggest moment of the Ryder Cup may well have been an incident that happened between holes. He was involved in a confrontation between Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose on the 16th green.
Rose told DeChambeau’s caddie to move out of his way as he was lining up a putt, which led to a seven-man argument on the walk down to the 17th tee. Fleetwood was at the center of the action, attempting to tell DeChambeau to keep it moving as the American shouted his protest.
Days after the incident, Fleetwood broke his silence on DeChambeau and Rose’s confrontation.
Tommy Fleetwood said people got things wrong during Ryder Cup confrontation
Fleetwood and Rose went on to beat Scottie Scheffler and DeChambeau in fourballs, in what proved to be a crucial point for Europe.
Speaking about the incident, Fleetwood attempted to downplay the confrontation on the 16th green, saying the whole thing was blown out of proportion.
He said, “I thought the situation got blown out of proportion from the minute it happened. I think it’s obvious to see on the TV, Justin wanted his space, like he was getting ready to hit and he wanted his space. Could have said it in a nicer way, probably, like he said but an intense moment.
“I was right there when he apologized straightaway. At that point, like, it’s done. Really, people get things wrong in the moment. Justin said I’m sorry.
“Some people wanted to make it a bigger thing than what it was. You know, so then you hold your ground, and that’s just what happens, really. But yeah, it was blown out of proportion at the time but it was over in a few minutes.”
Tensions run high during the heat of battle, and Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, apologized for his involvement on Instagram to European vice captain Francesco Molinari, who also found himself involved.
Molinari has been a pivotal piece for Europe in the last two Ryder Cups, and Fleetwood weighed up his chances of being captain in 2027.
Tommy Fleetwood discusses Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari’s Ryder Cup captaincy chances
After becoming the second European captain to win back-to-back Ryder Cups, Luke Donald secured his status as one of the all-time great captains. “Two more years” was the cry from fans and players after the win in New York, but Donald says he is considering stepping down.
As we await his decision, we must also consider who Donald’s likely replacement would be. Both Rose and Molinari have been presented as possible successors.
Fleetwood discussed their chances of becoming captain, “Yeah, we’ll see what happens. I think the ball is probably in Luke’s court, and I think he’s earned that. Justin is going to be playing in the Ryder Cup when he’s 102 years old, maybe. Like we might have to wait a while for Justin to be a captain.
“And Francesco, I spoke to Francesco about it numerous times. I think the respect he has for his peers and the players, his accomplishments, and his experience go a long way to being a Ryder Cup captain. It’s up to the individual if they want to put their names forward and see where it goes from there.
“Whether it’s Luke or anybody else, I think we have an amazing blueprint as Team Europe, and I think we have amazing captains lying in wait that will do an amazing job. We’ll see where we go in the future. But I think we are in good hands for a long time.”
Europe’s secret isn’t in one man, as phenomenal as Donald has been in his role. It’s a system, passed on through generations, all working towards a common goal.
No matter the man in charge, the infrastructure is in place for Europe’s success. So if Molinari, Rose, or someone else takes Donald’s place, they will be put in the best possible position to succeed.
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