Tommy Fleetwood’s 2025 season reads like the script of a Hollywood sports drama: heartbreak, redemption, and the promise of even greater things to come. At 34 years old, Fleetwood has finally cemented his place among golf’s elite, capturing his first PGA Tour title in the United States at the Tour Championship, rallying for a Ryder Cup hero’s performance, and adding a DP World Tour victory in India to his growing list of accolades. And yet, as the curtain falls on a whirlwind year, Fleetwood’s gaze is firmly fixed on unfinished business—namely, the majors in 2026, with the tantalizing prospect of The Open at his hometown course of Royal Birkdale.
Fleetwood’s journey to this point has been anything but smooth. For years, he was golf’s nearly man, the player who could charm a crowd and contend on Sunday but somehow never quite seal the deal on American soil. That narrative shifted dramatically in August 2025, when Fleetwood held his nerve at East Lake Golf Club, outdueling the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay to claim the Tour Championship and a staggering $10 million top prize. According to GolfMagic, this win propelled Fleetwood to a career-high fifth in the world rankings and pushed his total 2025 earnings to a remarkable $23,571,968.07, including 13 six-figure payouts and a host of top finishes across the globe.
But the story of Fleetwood’s season isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about resilience in the face of defeat and the grace to celebrate others’ triumphs. Just weeks before his Tour Championship breakthrough, Fleetwood suffered a gut-wrenching loss at the Travelers Championship. Holding a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole, he faltered with a bogey, opening the door for Keegan Bradley to snatch victory. “I’m upset now. I’m angry,” Fleetwood admitted after the round, as quoted in GolfMagic. “I would love to just go and sulk somewhere, and maybe I will. But there’s just no point making it a negative for the future, really.”
True to his word, Fleetwood bounced back with characteristic determination. His performance at the 2025 Ryder Cup was nothing short of heroic. Paired with Masters champion Rory McIlroy, Fleetwood became Europe’s top points scorer, collecting four points and helping Luke Donald’s squad secure a dramatic 15-13 away win at Bethpage Black. Had it not been for a late rally by Justin Thomas, Fleetwood might have left New York undefeated. “There’s always something to play for. There’s always something else that comes up. There’s always something else that you will end up striving for no matter how high or low you sit in any kind of rankings,” Fleetwood reflected, capturing the relentless drive that has defined his career.
His momentum didn’t stop there. October saw Fleetwood rally from a two-shot deficit to win the inaugural DP World Tour India Championship at Delhi Golf Club, marking his third victory in just three months. The win capped a run that included the Ryder Cup and the Tour Championship, making Fleetwood one of the hottest players in the game heading into the winter’s lucrative playoffs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Yet, for all the trophies and accolades, Fleetwood remains candid about where he fell short. “As good as the season has been, it was a poor major year for me,” he said after his win in India, according to GolfMagic. “I didn’t come close to being in contention or competing in those majors. That’s something I’ll look back on and be slightly disappointed in, but also take away the lessons and look at what I could do better going into next year.”
Indeed, 2025 marked the first time since 2021 that Fleetwood failed to record a top-10 finish in any of the four majors. His record at the US Masters, for instance, has generally been strong—after missing the cut on his debut in 2017, he posted finishes of T17, T36, T19, T46, T14, 33, T3, and T21. The Masters at Augusta, with its wide fairways and demand for precise iron play, hasn’t always seemed a natural fit, but Fleetwood’s T3 in 2024 proves he can contend with the best.
The PGA Championship has historically favored bombers, and while Fleetwood has only one top-10 finish—a T5 at Southern Hills in 2022—he’s missed just one cut in his last nine appearances. Notably, he finished T8 at the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink, the same venue that will host the 2026 PGA.
It’s the US Open, however, where Fleetwood has shown flashes of brilliance. He finished T27 in his debut in 2015, solo fourth at Erin Hills in 2017, and was just one shot behind Brooks Koepka at Shinnecock Hills in 2018. Though the event’s punishing setups have made consistency elusive—Fleetwood’s record includes T65, missed cuts, and T50—he rebounded with a T5 at Los Angeles Country Club. The 2026 US Open returns to Shinnecock, a venue where Fleetwood has unfinished business and, perhaps, his best shot at major glory.
But if there’s one major that seems tailor-made for Fleetwood, it’s The Open. With finishes of T12, 2nd, T33, T4, T10, missed cut, and T16, he’s proven himself a force on links courses. The 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, right in his hometown of Southport, is shaping up as a potential fairytale. “Golfers seeking their first major aren’t picky about which one, but it’s hard to overlook the British Open returning to Royal Birkdale next year in his hometown of Southport. Is that asking too much?” mused GolfMagic.
Fleetwood’s odds to win any of the four majors in 2026 currently stand at 11/2, reflecting both his recent form and the sense that his major breakthrough is only a matter of time. He remains the only player to shoot a final-round 63 in the US Open twice—at Shinnecock in 2018 and Los Angeles in 2023—a testament to his ability to go low on golf’s toughest stages.
With his trophy cabinet filling up and his confidence soaring, Fleetwood is poised for another run at history in 2026. The golf world will be watching closely as he takes aim at the majors, especially The Open at Royal Birkdale. For Fleetwood, the journey is far from over; in fact, the best chapters may be yet to come.
