Media Center Interviews
March 31, 2026
Pre-Tournament Interview with Tommy Fleetwood
MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Tommy Fleetwood into the interview room here at the Valero Texas Open. Tommy is making his third straight start at this event, he finished T7 in 2024. Tommy, welcome back.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Thank you, John.
MODERATOR: If we can get some comments on being here this week.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it's always nice to come here. I actually played 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. I had a great week. I then had a great Masters right after it. It's been part of our year ever since.
I think it's a really, really great week. I love having my family here, love the golf course. Yeah, very, very happy to be back. Everybody's always been very friendly and very supportive of me here and looking forward to it.
MODERATOR: Dating back to winning the FedExCup in 2025, your last 10 starts, you've had seven top10s. So just talk a little bit about this stretch of golf and how you feel about your game coming into the week.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I was just talking about that. I think I pride myself on trying to be as consistent as possible and play at a level that is competitive with the best players in the world really.
It's been a nice run. I think I've been happy with the start of this year. I finished last season on both PGA TOUR and DP World Tour so strongly, and found myself playing some of the best golf of my life and that was really enjoyable.
But of course there's always a break and then it's not about what's next, it's about trying to maintain what you've got while also trying to improve. I think I did a lot of good stuff this year. I feel like Pebble Beach was great because I felt like right at the very end I was sort of in contention all of a sudden and that was great feeling. Sort of played some really consistent golf in other events and got the year off to a nice start. We are coming into such a big stretch now, so it's nice to have that to build on.
Q. Tommy, how does it affect your mindset, if at all, to compete in this field as a tournament favorite?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, well, that's nice. Anytime there's something like that, you should only like reflect on it as a positive thing and something enjoyable. 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. 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, and as John touched on before, the consistency of golf that I played for a while now. Exciting to get going.
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. Going through that process and working hard and then preparing for this week and going out there and hopefully having a great week are the most important things.
Q. You talked about this a little bit but what is your thought process in planning out your schedule and wanting to play this event ahead of the Masters?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: So I had a stretch back in 2018 and '19 where I felt like having a week off before majors served me better. The last couple years I feel like I've felt better when I've played the week before a major. There is that aspect.
The four majors, they do go in the calendar first. At any time when you're planning the schedule, of course you want to look at how can I best when I tee up on Thursday of a major, how am I going to feel the most prepared and feel the best going into those events. Those come first.
Then you look at how you work things around that. Then of course there's courses that you enjoy, there's places that you enjoy, venues that you enjoy. It's always a mix of them. I've played well at this event and I do enjoy it and it happens to come the week before the Masters, so it's all in all a big win for me.
Q. You just mentioned you played well in this event. What is it about this course (inaudible)?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's a demanding golf course. Can't be overpowered. You've got to really control your ball. I think you have to be patient. I think you have to use an allaround game. It's windy. I think there's just a lot of elements that go into making this a really, really good challenge. I liked it the first year I came here, and like I said, I've continued to come back. I just like how it challenges every aspect of your game.
Q. A couple of gear questions for you. You've gone away from the Sharpie lines on your Spider, went to a line of dots. What are you seeing with that? And then also, are you testing that (inaudible) putter out there, any feels with that that your liking?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, Spider head that I will be using is just the same head that I've used for a while now, almost a year. Just a different visual on top. It was just look, I actually haven't putted very well this year. It's been one of the sort of more disappointing ways that I've started the year. I haven't played how I wanted to and sometimes it's nothing more into it than you just need something different to look at, like a slightly different visual or something just to change up your mindset a little bit. So that's why I changed the sightlines.
That new Spider, beautiful putter. So I used to try the hundreds of different putters, but I used like the same putter for about eight years. I tried less putters over the last year, but I still enjoying just tinkering because you never know what you're going to find, even if it just makes you feel better about your putter. I just like hitting different putters. Who knows, it might be something that I put in at some point. It's a nice other option. Yeah, it's always good to test stuff.
Q. I know your wardrobe's been a big topic of discussion recently. You've just solidified the Blackstone partnership on your hat, but regarding the rest of your wardrobe, what is it about enjoying having the freedom week to week to try out different things and find different merch wherever you play as well?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: So I'm at a point in my life and career and partnerships where I do feel like you want to get the most value in as many ways as you possibly can. I think first of all Blackstone's been great about that. I feel it's full of people that I can learn from and gain on both sides. I think that that's the same with clothes. Like I've had a great time, I am having a great time. I spend I spent 20 years with one company who were amazing to me and had a great time, but there's so many different items out there in the golf world and in the fashion world. So I think I am both like part golf fan, like I still love a great golf logo and I still look to wear those, but also being able to wear stuff that obviously I've kind of chosen or sought out and that I feel comfortable in and that suits me, having that as well has been great. That's going to continue. That's been fun and that's been a good aspect.
Sure, I would always rather my golf be the biggest talking point in a positive way, but it's nice to have people talking about what I'm wearing as well.
Q. Any notable finds so far in Texas yet or any plans to look for any new outfits?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I got some new Driftwood gear. We were at Driftwood for three days and I have some logoed stuff as well as my kids. No cowboy hat or cowboy boots coming onto the golf course just yet.
Q. I did see that Driftwood hat.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it's a nice hat.
Q. What was the experience like doing to the Spurs game and seeing Victor Wembanyama?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: First of all, the arena, that's huge, that place. It was great to watch him. I was so excited to watch him in person. Like I actually love basketball. I was so excited to watch him in person and just watch, it was a great atmosphere. He has all the makings of being an alltime great so to get to watch him earlier in his career, that was pretty cool.
Q. Tommy, Masters is coming up. How excited is your son this time and is he ready this year, he's been practicing to hit it over the water?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I mean, it's a big talking point in our house. I'm unconvinced that he can carry it. He obviously very positively thinks that he can. As long as he hits a good shot, I'm kind of OK with it. It's great and it's something for him to look I always think the Masters is so unique in that it is one of the biggest tournaments you'll ever play, but then you have such like a lifetime experience of like joy on the Wednesday that's so different in that par3 contest. It's so unique in that way and so, so special.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to the week. I feel like I've, you know, prepared well. I've been lucky enough to play a bunch of Masters now, so like experience is on my side in a way as well as a lot of people.
I'm excited to go there, I'm excited to play. Frankie, you know, will be trying his hardest.
MODERATOR: Tommy, I failed to mention of your excellent play of late, TGL. If you can comment on that experience. Congratulations.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Thank you. There you go, we already have a trophy this year. TGL was great. It's been a really cool experience. The two years that have gone now seem to have gone really quick. I think looking back two years ago nobody knew quite what to expect and I think it's continued to have grown. I feel very blessed and lucky to have such an amazing team and group of guys that I got to play with. And winning, it was very, very special.
Like I said, two years ago nobody knew what to expect. I guess the majority wanted to be a part of it while not knowing what was going to come of it, what to expect and how it was going to go.
Definitely the first year it was way more competitive than I thought it would be. Like it hurt when I still blame myself for us losing the semifinals last year. It actually upset me, I was really annoyed by it and I felt like I let the team down. It was great to come back this year and have such a great run and win that and do it with the boys. It was a really great feeling. It's been great season, yes.
MODERATOR: Tommy, we appreciate your time as always. Best of luck this week.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Thanks, John.
