Tommy Fleetwood’s recent form has been just as good as anyone’s in world golf, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy included.
Scheffler and McIlroy were the standout players on the PGA Tour in 2025, but Fleetwood has now joined them as part of golf’s ‘big three’ after his scintillating finish to the year.
Xander Schauffele returned to the winner’s circle in October and he’s ranked as the world’s third best golfer, but it’s fair to argue that Fleetwood is actually the closest to the top two right now.
Fleetwood recently admitted that Scheffler and McIlroy have made him strive to get better.
The Englishman has certainly raised his game and reached a whole new level in 2025.
He broke his PGA Tour duck by winning his first ever event in America at the Tour Championship in August.
Fleetwood is now ranked as the world number four and that goes to show just how much he has improved.
A major championship win may well be on the horizon for the 34-year-old, but his fine form may actually help Scheffler and McIlroy raise their levels now as well.
Why Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy need Tommy Fleetwood more than ever
At elite level sport, it’s incredibly difficult to reach the very top.
However, if you are lucky enough to do just that, remaining there is even harder.
Now, McIlroy has been at the top for more than a decade, while Scheffler has been at the peak of his powers for around three years.
However, by his own admission, McIlroy struggled with his motivation last season while it will be extremely hard for Scheffler to match his 2024 and 2025 seasons.
That’s why the Northern Irishman and the American both need Fleetwood to push them to the limit next season and beyond.
There is nothing like a new challenger emerging on the scene to help bring the best out of the world’s best sportsmen.
We’ve seen it happen before with the late great Kobe Bryant and the emergence of LeBron James two decades ago and it was definitely the case in soccer with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo pushing each other to even greater heights every single year.
Now Scheffler and McIlroy will both be fully aware that they need to work even harder on their games during the off-season, with Fleetwood having cemented his position right at the very top of the game.
Progress can never be made by standing still and doing the same things.
For instance, Scheffler needs to improve his bunker play, while McIlroy must dial in his irons, if they are to succeed in the very biggest tournaments once again next year.
And having Fleetwood perform to such consistently high levels over the past few months is just what the best two players in the world needed ahead of the 2026 PGA Tour season.
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood both motivated by Scottie Scheffler
McIlroy spoke just after Scheffler won The Open at Royal Portrush in July and admitted that he has been on a different level to everyone else over the past two years.
He said: “Yeah, I think a lot more positive than they were six years ago. I mean, look, I’m really pleased with my week. I wish I had have been closer to Scottie going into today and been able to make a real push. But he’s been on a different level all week and he’s been on a different level for the last two years to the rest of us.”
Meanwhile, back at the Tour Championship in August, Fleetwood highlighted how Scheffler has driven him on recently.
He said: “From a player’s standpoint, I think having someone like that [Scottie Scheffler] to chase and to look up to and to drive you forward is a great thing.”
Xander Schauffele is another player who has raved about Scheffler’s ability recently. After The Open this year, Schauffele admitted it is tough to keep up with the 29-year-old world number one.
He said: “He’s a tough man to beat, and when you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for us.“
Scheffler has clearly laid down the marker and every other player will have to raise their game in order to surpass him in the world rankings.
However, Fleetwood’s huge improvement over the past year or so will ensure that Scheffler doesn’t rest on his laurels, or indeed McIlroy.
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