Golf doesn’t stop, life goes on after the Ryder Cup and Tommy Fleetwood, along with Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick, and Bobby MacIntyre are already competing in Scotland at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Tommy, one of the great heroes of the New York event with four points in his bag, didn’t hesitate to point out in the tournament preview what was one of the great moments of the recently conquered Ryder Cup at Bethpage: the bus ride back to the hotel. A unique moment. Songs, joy, pure ecstasy…
“We all knew that journey was going to be special,” confessed the Englishman. “Just as you can imagine someone sinking the decisive putt or Luke lifting the trophy, we also visualised the bus ride back as a high point. And it was: songs, chants, and an incredible atmosphere. It’s one of those images that stay with you forever.”
The video of Tommy himself singing on the bus “Europe is on fire” is the most viral content on the official Ryder Cup Europe channel’s social media, surpassing 11 million views on Instagram. It’s pure poetry, if you haven’t seen it, please do so soon.
The European bus with players like MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, or Shane Lowry singing the classic locker room chants has already become as anticipated a ritual as the trophy presentation itself. So much so that, thinking about Adare Manor, Fleetwood joked: “Since we’ll be staying at the same resort, we might have to take a lap around the block to keep the tradition alive.” The bus as a meeting point for the whole team.
The party practically started on the bus but extended until three in the morning. Not excessively late hours, but he admits that the accumulated tension of the whole week was already weighing on their shoulders. In fact, he confessed that he ended the celebrations at 1:30 am: “Apparently, the others continued. Some had a longer night than others, but I don’t have the capacity or stamina to keep up with some of those guys,” he concluded with a laugh.
Asked about the future captaincy, Fleetwood didn’t hesitate to point to Donald as the favourite to repeat in 2027: “I think the decision is in Luke’s hands, and he’s earned it.” Regarding other possible candidates, he also mentioned Justin Rose with humour: “Who knows, Justin will still be playing the Ryder Cup when he’s 102 years old, so we might have to wait a bit before seeing him as captain.” And he didn’t forget Francesco Molinari: “I spoke with him many times and he has the respect of his teammates, his experience and achievements count for a lot. I think he would be a great captain.
To conclude, Tommy makes the general feeling clear: “Whether it’s Luke or anyone else, I think we have an incredible model as a team and we have extraordinary captains ready who will do an excellent job. We’ll see where we go in the future, but I think we’ll be in good hands for a long time.”
The Ryder on American soil has been quite a challenge in terms of managing tension with the public, but Fleetwood takes it in stride: “There’s a big difference between a hostile environment and personal comments. Most American fans were fantastic, and you can’t judge 60,000 people by a few. We were already prepared for what we were going to encounter. It’s part of what makes the Ryder Cup unique.”
That spirit of brotherhood was also reflected in one of the week’s most delicate moments. Fleetwood was a direct witness to the incident on the 16th hole with Justin Rose, when he asked for silence at a moment of maximum concentration. “What happened was greatly exaggerated,” explained Tommy. “Justin just wanted space to concentrate. He might have said it a bit harshly, but he apologised instantly. On television, it looked bigger than it really was. For us, it was resolved in seconds.” Gentleman Tommy Fleetwood.
