Copyright Yardbarker
Tommy Fleetwood is back in action this week at the DP World Tour Championship, coming off another strong performance in Abu Dhabi. He fell to Aaron Rai in a playoff after both finished the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship tied at 25-under par. After their playoff, Rai had good things to say about Fleetwood, though not everyone saw it that way just before they squared off. Former DP World Tour player Andrew Coltart accused Fleetwood of gamesmanship on Sky Sports, claiming he made the 30-year-old wait on the 18th tee before their playoff began. Tommy Fleetwood responds to gamesmanship claims following Abu Dhabi playoff Fleetwood, now focused on the DP World Tour Championship, was asked about the accusation while speaking with the media before play began. When questioned about whether the gamesmanship accusation surprised him, he responded: “I did see the comments, actually, just before. “It’s one of those things, I don’t know… look, you don’t know in what context it was said. I didn’t hear it. I read it. “Either way, if there’s a certain side of journalism where, you know, it’s conveyed… I feel like it’s disappointing, and you know not even to Andrew. I think very highly of him.” “I think he’s an amazing… I’ve read one little piece and I’m not saying… whether the article was written that way. I’m not going to accuse anybody of meaning anything by it. “I’m just saying from my point of view, I had just played with Aaron for 36 holes. We are unbelievably close and unbelievably supportive in each other’s careers.” “I was desperate for the toilet, and then as soon as I was finished, I ran to the tee and that was how it happened. “So yeah, you know, I think everybody knows that I… or I would hope that everybody knows that I wouldn’t do anything like that, and I think the world of Aaron, as well. “So no, I don’t know how it was written. It’s hard to comment on something or defend yourself on something that you to the extent know in what form it was said or written. “But like I said, that’s what happened. We walked off the 18th and I was desperate to go to the toilet, I said to Miguel, ‘Can I please go to the toilet?’ He said yes. I ran to the toilet; ran to the tee.” Tommy Fleetwood has never played mind games The golfing world has come to know Fleetwood’s character well by now, and it is hard to believe he had any intention of disrupting Rai’s focus before the playoff. His reputation on the PGA Tour is built not just on his talent, but also on how he carries himself away from the course. He handled those setbacks professionally, even before his breakthrough win at the Tour Championship finally came along. In Abu Dhabi, despite another close call, Fleetwood remained composed, a quality that did not go unnoticed by Rai, who was full of praise for him afterward.
