Tommy Fleetwood is expected to be on the shortlist of Masters contenders next week.
Before then, he is the favourite to win this week’s Valero Texas Open.
Fleetwood Embraces Tournament Favourite Status
The Englishman is currently ranked fourth in the world. He is one of only two top-10 players competing in this week’s Valero Texas Open, which begins on Thursday at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course. Fleetwood said he is ready to embrace being the tournament favourite and appreciates the journey to get to this point.
“I’ve played plenty of tournaments where I’ve been really, really struggling with my game or down in the rankings or fighting for something. So when you’re at the higher end, you have to make sure you enjoy it,” Fleetwood said at his pre-event press conference on Tuesday.
“You don’t know how long that’s going to last. Hopefully it lasts a long time and I can keep improving. That’s a really nice feeling and I think a nice reflection of the work that we’ve done, the consistency of golf that I played for a while now.
“All of those things as well, I’m very, very aware it has no impact on as soon as I pick up a golf club on Thursday morning, like the clubs and the ball are no different so it has no impact on how you’re going to play.”
Valero a Key Stop Before Augusta
This week is an important week for Fleetwood’s Masters prep.
Last year, he barely made the Valero cut and then tied for 21st at the Masters. Two years ago, he finished seventh at the Valero and then tied for third at the Masters.
That first trip to San Antonio was sort of a happy accident, but it cemented the Valero as a staple in his playing schedule. “It’s funny, I played by chance in 2024. I was struggling in Florida, took the next week off and threw this one into the schedule,” he said. “I had a great week. I then had a great Masters right after it. It’s been part of our year ever since.”
Recent Successes and Texas Sights
Fleetwood won his first PGA Tour event last August at the Tour Championship. This victory ended a long drought during which he had 43 PGA Tour top 10s. The win also came with the title of FedEx Cup champion and a $10 million cash bonus.
Fleetwood also performed well in Europe’s Ryder Cup win in September, and he won the DP World India Championship in October. This year he’s rung up three top-10 finishes in four events, including T4 at Pebble Beach and T8 at the Players, which led to his current rise in the rankings.
Fleetwood said he’s shopped for Texas-themed Driftwood threads for himself and his family. He also took in a San Antoio Spurs game.
Fleetwood is still pretty new to life as a PGA Tour winner.