Tommy Fleetwood eyes unifying power of Olympics as Southport mourns

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Sport pales in significance after tragedy, yet through the unifying power of the Olympic Games, Team Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood hopes to bring solace to a community grieving following a knife attack in Southport, England.

Three children died and eight other children were injured in the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Fleetwood’s hometown on Monday.

“I am pretty sure that (winning a medal) will make no difference to anybody, but I hope it can bring some happiness, something back, to the town,” Fleetwood said Wednesday from Le Golf National. “Gold medal or not, I am sure we will work to help the families affected, bring everyone together and restore the town.”

In the immediate aftermath of the news, Fleetwood released a heartfelt message on social media, saying he was “absolutely heartbroken.”

“What they are going through is unimaginable,” he wrote on X regarding the families who lost children in the attack. “As a parent myself it’s difficult to even comprehend what has happened and what they have ahead of them, but I know the whole community in Southport will come together to support them.

“My heart will always be in Southport and together with my family we are sending all of our love to the people of my hometown.”

While Fleetwood is based in Dubai, he still has close ties to Southport with a number of relatives living in the area. He heard of the tragic news through his putting coach Phil Kenyon, who lives in the town, shortly after arriving in France.

“You don't quite process it really for a little while, and then more new starts coming out about it,” Fleetwood said. “It is tragic for the town, but for the people affected, it is terrible.”

Fleetwood, 33, is popular worldwide, but especially so in and around his hometown. Huge crowds turned out to support him in last year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. He admits the events in Merseyside have brought an increased determination to challenge for a medal at Le Golf National, where he’ll represent Great Britain alongside Matt Fitzpatrick.

Fleetwood made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2020, where he was aiming to become the second player to win gold for Great Britain. But despite being in medal contention going into the final round, he faded and eventually settled for a tie for 16th.

It was an experience that has only fuelled his hunger to do better this time around.

“It's pretty extreme,” Fleetwood said. “Being at the last one in Tokyo, one of the biggest things I took away, and it's obvious, but these guys, they train for four years; a false start on a hundred meters, and your opportunity, you have to wait another four years.

“So, it puts a bad tee shot on the first in a perspective a little bit,” he added.

Fleetwood, who will tee it up alongside major winners Wyndham Clark and Hideki Matsuyama over the first two rounds, has fond memories of Le Golf National. He won the 2017 Open de France before returning to the same venue to great acclaim next year as he starred alongside Francesco Molinari to help Team Europe regain the Ryder Cup.

“For us that grew up on the European Tour (now the DP World Tour), it's obviously been a staple part of our golfing life, if you like,” Fleetwood said. “We've come back here every year pretty much. I haven't been here for a while, but it's always been historical on the (DP World) Tour.

“The course doesn't change, so it's nice to get back out there,” he added. “You have memories of each and every hole that you've played, and it is, it's always nice coming back to somewhere that you know relatively well and just getting used to it again.”