Tommy Fleetwood feels Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari would make outstanding Ryder Cup captains (Image: Getty Images)
Golfing sensation Tommy Fleetwood has voiced his opinion that Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari would make outstanding Ryder Cup captains for Europe down the line. The English pro-golfer reflects on Europe’s triumph over Team USA in Rome last year, contributing as a key player in the win.
It was Fleetwood’s pivotal putt on the 16th hole at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club that cemented the defeat for the Americans. However, despite this success, Fleetwood faced disappointment as captain of team GBandI during the inaugural Team Cup in Abu Dhabi in January 2023, beaten by Molinari’s Continental Europe squad—a precursor to the main event.
“Justin and Fran (Molinari) are obvious candidates for future Ryder Cup captains,” declared Fleetwood when reflecting on the Abu Dhabi event and his four-point loss to Molinari’s side.
“It [the Team Cup] was amazing for me. I wouldn’t consider myself at a stage in my career where I would be seen as ready to captain a team, but it was an unbelievable experience and a massive honour to captain the GBandI side. I feel like I did learn a lot, but I believe Justin will be far more prepared than I was and far more ready for it.”
Team Europe’s (top row, from the left to right) Henrik Stenson, Alex Noren, Sergio Garcia, captain Thomas Bjorn, Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm, Francesco Molinari (bottom row, from left to right) Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Thorbjorn Olesen, Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey celebrate with the Ryder Cup on day three at Le Golf National (Image: PA)
Looking ahead, Fleetwood expresses hope that Rose, set to take the helm of the British and Irish contingent in the next Team Cup in January, will outshine his own performance from this year.
Fleetwood believes he is ushering in a new era of leadership for the Team Europe as they gear up for the forthcoming Ryder Cup, reflecting on past challenges to bolster future glories. “I think he’s probably at a stage where he’s naturally going to lead. Whereas I tried to lead, I kind of just felt like I wanted to play with the team as well. I’m looking forward to it.”
Fleetwood and his colleagues harnessed their previous loss to conjure a commanding Ryder Cup showing, as Europe trounced the USA 161⁄2 to 111⁄2 on Italian ground.
The painful 19-9 defeat back in 2021 by Steve Stricker’s US squad was a stark wake-up call for Fleetwood. “Going back to getting the plane back from Whistling Straits [where the 2021 Ryder Cup was held], we got beaten pretty convincingly,” the Olympic silver medallist confessed.
Determined to bounce back, the team pondered their strategy for success in Italy. “We were thinking of what we could do better and what would give us the best opportunity to compete in Italy.”
ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 01: Tommy Fleetwood of Team Europe celebrates on the 17th tee during the Sunday singles matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on October 01, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *BESTPIX* (Image: Getty Images)
Key to their plan was reintroducing a team event—pointing to the rebranded Team Cup, once called the Hero Cup, as crucial groundwork.
“One of the first things we came up with was having a team event again,” Fleetwood said, underscoring the importance of pre-Ryder Cup camaraderie. With timing being everything, January’s meet in Abu Dhabi hit the sweet spot.
“Timing-wise, January in Abu Dhabi was absolutely perfect, and we were lucky to come up with the event. I do now think the ecosystem of Team Europe is to probably expect a captain of this team event to move on to being a captain in the Ryder Cup. It will be great moving forward, and hopefully, it can carry on.”
Looking ahead, the 2025 Team Cup is set for January 10-12 at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, with an impressive roster including Dubai’s own Fleetwood among the 18 confirmed players, though world-renowned Rory McIlroy has bowed out of the affair.