Tommy Fleetwood: “Having someone like Scottie Scheffler to look up to and drive you forward is a great thing”

Tommy Fleetwood says that having someone like Scottie to look up to is a great thing

Speaking to the media ahead of the 152nd British Open Championship at Royal Troon, Tommy Fleetwood shared his thoughts on how impressive Scottie Scheffler’s run of wins really is.

Scheffler has won six times so far this season, including the 2024 Masters Tournament, which is a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Arnold Palmer’s stellar year in 1962. Fleetwood says he would be happy with one victory.

“He’s the best player in the world, and I think, as far as fellow players, I guess, I think he’s great for us in terms of somebody that we want to catch up to and watch him and be motivated by what he’s doing.

“He’s having the most incredible season, and I think winning six times as well as being up there in contention as many times as he has been, as consistently as he has been over the last two years, is phenomenal golf in a game that is as unpredictable as it gets in a way.”

“I think especially with like — I say it all the time. I think the standard is getting higher and higher and higher and the margins are getting smaller and smaller and smaller. To be up there all the time, and on top of that, to go on a win streak the way he has is incredible really. It’s amazing.”

“From a player’s standpoint, I think having someone like that to chase and to look up to and to drive you forward is a great thing for us.”

Fleetwood will be representing team Great Britain at the Paris Olympics later this month, alongside Matt Fitzpatrick. But the Olympics haven’t always been an aspirational tournament for golfers.

“I think from my generation upwards we never had the Olympics as something that we would ever dream of winning. For us, with it not being an Olympic sport for the majority of our childhood, that’s something we would never aim for, so I think it would only be natural for us to not necessarily think about it or hold it on a pedestal just while it’s started.”

“I think now for kids growing up that will watch the Olympics, watch golf in the Olympics, the last two gold medal winners in Justin and Xander, I think are fantastic for the game. I’m pretty sure kids will start growing up dreaming a bit.”

Fleetwood said that despite not having the best record around the course, he has had some good times, and is looking forward to representing his country at the games. We’ll definitely be tuning in to watch Tommy compete at Le Golf National.

About the author

Sarah Pyett – Deputy Digital Editor

Sarah Pyett is the Deputy Digital Editor of todays-golfer.com. She plays off a handicap of 4, and specializes in ladies’ equipment reviews, including drivers, irons, and golf balls.

After a career in a golf professional shop, and earning a qualification in golf club management, Sarah joined Bauer in 2014 as a Web Producer for Today’s Golfer. She has since worked across multiple brands in a mixture of digital marketing and paid media roles, before returning to focus on golf full-time as Deputy Digital Editor in 2024.