Is Tommy Fleetwood primed for an enormous 2026?

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Test in each week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the most popular matters within the sport, and be a part of the dialog by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we talk about one other Tommy Fleetwood victory, a singular match venue, the LPGA’s newest champion and extra.

Tommy Fleetwood gained the DP World India Championship to earn his second victory in his final 4 begins (to not point out his Ryder Cup dominance). Now now not fearful about securing his first PGA Tour win (and save for the World No. 1), is there a participant primed for a extra dominant 2026 than Fleetwood?

Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): The celebrities actually appear to be aligning for a Fleetwood breakout. He had just a few shut calls even earlier than he lastly gained the Tour Championship, so it’s not like the previous couple of months have been a fluke. The man can ball-strike with one of the best of them, which is an effective approach to all the time keep in rivalry. Nevertheless it’s additionally vital to recollect guys have gotten sizzling and regarded able to tear up the golf world earlier than, solely to vanish. (Viktor Hovland gained back-to-back playoff occasions in August 2023 and didn’t win once more for 19 months.) I don’t count on a Scottie-like 2026, however I wouldn’t be stunned if Fleetwood picked off two and even three wins subsequent yr.

Alan Bastable, government editor (@alan_bastable): Superb how wins so usually beget extra wins. Fleetwood is the newest living proof, and never essentially as a result of his recreation is any higher than it was a yr in the past — however extra so as a result of he’s main the Tour in SG: Confidence. We’ll see if that magic stays with him via the offseason. As he stated himself on Sunday, “I do know kind doesn’t final ceaselessly, however I’m attempting to make myself probably the most constant participant I will be.” However, sure, to reply the query, he’s extremely properly positioned for 2026. One other man I’m excited to see in motion subsequent yr: Cameron Younger. Curious if his spectacular Ryder Cup will give him a shot of sustained confidence.

Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): It’s all the time attention-grabbing when gamers get sizzling within the fall and winter to see if they'll maintain the momentum into the subsequent summer time main season. Though, as Josh talked about, it’s not as if Tommy is popping out of nowhere. He’s been a favourite choose on the majors even earlier than his PGA Tour breakthrough. However Tommy does appear to return on particularly sturdy in Ryder Cup years. So let’s revisit this in 2027! As for subsequent yr, I’m trying ahead to holding my eye on one other stable European: Alex Noren, who gained two DP World Tour titles this yr and is projected to earn his PGA Tour card for subsequent season.

"> Fleetwood beat out a handful of stars to win on a slim Delhi Golf Membership, the place it was reported that 42 p.c of the sphere performed with no driver. Ought to the PGA Tour go to extra programs the place gamers are pressured to be extra strategic off the tee? And the way usually?

Berhow: Delhi Golf Membership is a reasonably excessive instance — I don’t need Rory hitting zero drivers! — nevertheless it ought to undoubtedly occur extra, as taking part in sound, strategic golf and hitting golf equipment the course would possibly name for is a talent, simply as a lot as it's to bomb driver throughout the property. It provides extra gamers an opportunity too. Years in the past I keep in mind Kevin Kisner rattling off a listing of programs he felt he couldn’t win on merely as a result of distance required off the tee. How reasonable it's although is one other query. Plenty of logistics go into selecting a Tour venue — a sponsor, the TV manufacturing, and so forth. — and typically the kind of golf course isn’t all the time the principle focus.

Bastable: Energy needs to be a aggressive benefit in golf so, yeah, it could be unfair to all of a sudden inject the Tour schedule with a bunch extra tight and tree-choked websites. Nonetheless, this week in New Delhi was a enjoyable reminder that there’s a couple of approach to take a look at elite gamers who can hit a driver 330 yards, and among the gamers appeared to actually dig the problem. “I like programs like this much more since you simply hit quite a lot of completely different golf equipment extra usually,” Ben Griffin stated early within the week, “whereas in America we’re so used to hitting perhaps drivers and wedges much more.”

Marksbury: Taking part in a spherical of golf with no driver is one thing I'll by no means be capable of relate to! Years in the past, a USGA official instructed me that the target for the course setup for the U.S. Open was not essentially to offer probably the most tortuous take a look at, however for gamers to make the most of each membership within the bag over the course of the match. I like that concept, and I'm undoubtedly in favor of selling extra programs (or setups) the place that’s potential. Six or seven occasions a yr can be good.

Rory McIlroy was among the many gamers who saved the motive force out of the bag and tied for twenty sixth in India. When course setup limits drivers, is McIlroy on the largest drawback?

Berhow: Though Scottie Scheffler leads the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, I feel most would argue McIlroy with a driver in hand is without doubt one of the greatest exhibits in golf, and it may be the one membership that provides one participant a bonus greater than another (Scottie with an iron a detailed second?). That stated, Rory didn’t win a profession grand slam by merely hitting driver, however he does most likely do probably the most with it.

Bastable: I feel it was most likely much less a case of the setup not suiting McIlroy’s talent units and extra a case of the target-style of golf actually suiting different gamers, notably Tommy Fleetwood, who stated the course “arrange completely for me.” Curiously, should you have a look at McIlory’s 10 bogeys from the week, most have been triggered not by unfastened tee pictures however by lacking greens or pins on the unsuitable facet.

Marksbury: I agree with each of my colleagues right here. Eliminating driver is a bummer for a participant with a lot prowess off the tee. However on the finish of the day, you’re hitting far more approaches and putts than you might be tee pictures. So no matter benefit McIlroy was dropping was nonetheless considerably minimal, in my thoughts.

Sei Younger Kim gained the BMW Girls Championship to turn out to be the twenty seventh completely different winner on the LPGA Tour this season, the place there’s been only one two-time winner on the yr (Jeeno Thitikul, who gained her second occasion, the LPGA Shanghai, per week in the past). With solely 5 tournaments remaining, how do you analyze the present player-of-the-year race?

Berhow: Jeeno Thitikul is the apparent front-runner as the one participant with a number of wins, and her season’s been nice past these weeks. She’s missed only one minimize all yr and has 12 top-10 finishes. Since that is determined based mostly on factors, the CME Group Tour Championship would possibly find yourself deciding the entire thing. We didn’t have that drama final yr with Nelly Korda working away with this.

Marksbury: Agree, Josh. That 27 first-time winner stat is unimaginable. It actually speaks to how deep the expertise runs on the LPGA Tour, and as you talked about, Jeeno might have solely two wins, however she’s contended practically each time she’s teed it up, notched 4 runner-ups and can be very deserving of the crown, even with no main title this yr.

Bastable: To place Jeeno’s consistency in perspective, she is 120 factors forward of the second-ranked participant on the Rolex record, Nelly Korda — whereas Korda has solely a 20-point lead on the third spot, held by Minjee Lee. In different phrases, Thitikul is miles forward of her peer. Solely blemish on her 2025 resume got here on the U.S. Ladies’s Open, the place she missed her solely minimize of the yr.

Taking part in for the primary time since he withdrew from Sunday singles and evoked the now-controversial “envelope rule” on the Ryder Cup, Viktor Hovland known as the scenario “upsetting” however added he doesn’t see a straightforward repair for the rule. OK honest. However what Ryder Cup rule would you alter?

Berhow: Simple — choose the matchups like they do on the Presidents Cup, the place the captains alternate their picks. That approach, so long as the captains play ball, we are able to get a bit extra drama infused into the occasion. (And drama that doesn’t embrace boneheaded followers.)

Bastable: Within the case of a tie on the finish of singles, institute a three-hole aggregate-score playoff, pitting one participant from every group chosen by their respective captain. Not like the envelope rule, although, the playoff reps can be chosen prematurely. The captains would choose them within the second so, ought to they need, they'll nominate not essentially their greatest participant however the hottest one.

Marksbury: The Ryder Cup is almost excellent, however I don’t just like the “retention” rule if there’s a tie. We want a consequence! The envelope needs to be used to appoint one participant from every group to face off in a sudden-death playoff for the entire thing.