Fleetwood clinches maiden India title, dedicates emotional win to son Frankie

New Delhi, Oct 19 (PTI) The moment Tommy Fleetwood sealed a two-shot win at the inaugural DP World India Championship, his son Frankie sprinted across the 18th green and leapt into his arms — a moment the Englishman had quietly carried in his heart all week.

In a gripping final round at the Delhi Golf Club, Fleetwood, who started the day two shots behind, displayed trademark calm under pressure, fending off a spirited challenge from New Zealander Daniel Hiller (69) to close with a total of 266 and lift his eighth DP World Tour title — his first on Indian soil.

"We were playing golf last week. I mean, to be honest, he (Frankie) never shuts up, so there's always something coming out of his mouth, and he just happened to say randomly, he said, 'you know what you've never done'. He said -- it could have been anything, to be fair. He said, 'you've never won a tournament and I've been able to run on to the 18th green'," he said.

"He just said it as a passing comment. I didn't really say anything but I thought I'm going to keep that -- I wrote it down when I got back, and I had it in my mind.

"I know that there's events to come while we're playing at home, and obviously I'm lucky that my family gets to travel with me quite a lot. But it was something that I wrote down. 'You have never won and I've run onto the green'. That was the quote that was there, and that was something that would drive me." Fleetwood had ended his long wait for a first PGA TOUR title at the Tour Championship to capture the FedExCup in August and then played a key role in Europe's historic away Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black in September.

"I know form doesn’t last forever, but I’m trying to make myself the most consistent player I can be,” Fleetwood told reporters during the press conference after hoisting the gleaming trophy," he said.

“We said at the start of the week, I’ve had such a great year, but there were a couple of things that disappointed me, and my run on the DP World Tour was one of those things. Just not being where I want to be in terms of the Order of Merit and how I’ve played when I have played this tour, that was something that was bothering me.

“This means a lot, this win. It means I can carry on and I can play Abu Dhabi and Dubai and there’s still opportunities left.” Fleetwood’s composed finish capped off a strong season that saw him contend across continents and play key roles in team events. Yet, he remains hungry for more — particularly a maiden Major championship.

“It would be nice,” he said with a smile. “I imagine those things all the time, it’s just about making it a reality. When the season finishes, you look at targets and goals for the following year. I still have two tournaments to go and things I want to complete, and then I’ll look towards 2026 and see what we can do.

“The two things that disappointed me this year were my Major performances and where I stood in the DP World Tour rankings — those are things I’ll look at for next year.” On managing pressure down the stretch, Fleetwood admitted he doesn’t entirely avoid the leaderboard — but he knows when to refocus.

“I would love to kind of watch them less,” he said. “But they’re there, so I’m just aware. I look at the scoreboards, but then I have to bring myself back to the golf shot in front of me. I saw Dan had a good start. After three holes I was three behind Keita maybe, so people had started off fast. You just have to keep playing, keep focusing and not force things.

“I looked at the leaderboard on 14, and suddenly I was leading on my own — Dan had struggled on that hole. You never really know what’s going to happen. You can’t control anybody else, just yourself.” The 33-year-old Englishman also expressed gratitude for the warmth he and his family experienced throughout the week.

“I’ve enjoyed the fans here in Delhi and the hospitality that we’ve been given, how everybody has been so kind to me and my family,” he said. “I didn’t need a reason to come back anyway, but to have a trophy to defend is a very good reason — even though I didn’t need one.” Asked about his interaction with Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma during a promotional event for the DP World Tour, Fleetwood said: “It was great. It was really nice to meet Abhi,” he said. “He’s a really cool guy. We hit it off instantly. He might say he doesn’t like me, but I’d say we’re new friends. He’s got an amazing career in front of him and an amazing future.” PTI ATK AM ATK AM AM