Tommy Fleetwood made an insanely accurate prediction on how he’d win the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.
Tommy Fleetwood secured the decisive point for Team Europe to cap off a dominant display in Rome. The weekend is remembered for Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland’s record-breaking match against Scottie Scheffler, and Fleetwood’s magic moment.
Fleetwood revealed that he had predicted exactly how the match would end after Europe won the Ryder Cup. It was frighteningly accurate from the recent FedEx Cup winner.
Tommy Fleetwood predicted how he’d win the 2023 Ryder Cup
Fleetwood didn’t want to be selected for the pivotal moment in the 2023 Ryder Cup. But captain Luke Donald showed faith in the Englishman, and he secured the win for Europe.
On the drivable par-4 on the 16th hole, Fleetwood hit the shot of the Ryder Cup by finding the green, setting up an eagle putt. With his back against the wall, his singles opponent Rickie Fowler found the water, before conceding the hole.
Fleetwood said he thought back to his rookie Ryder Cup, and predicted that Fowler would find the water and concede.
He explained to Sky Sports in 2023, “In Paris [2018], in my first ever Ryder Cup, the winning moment – and I was stood there on the tee – was when Phil Mickelson put it into the water at the 16th and [Francesco Molinari] hit it into the middle of the green.
“They shook hands and that’s how the Ryder Cup was won. As I was walking down the 11th, I said to myself that Rickie [Fowler] is going to hit it into the water at the 16th and that’s where I’m going to win the Ryder Cup. For whatever reason, that just came into mind.
“I was 1up on the 16th tee when I saw Rickie’s drive. He didn’t hit that bad of a shot, it was just cutting all the time and went in the water. It’s just strange how things like that happen, but for me then you’ve got to stand up and you’ve still got to hit the golf shot.
“I was looking at the green and all I could think of was being one good shot away from winning the Ryder Cup. I stepped up, hit the driver down a little bit and it was a great swing. I looked up and saw where it was going, so there was nothing else to do.”
It was the best example of Fleetwood stepping up in a pressure-cooker environment, and delivering the goods for an entire continent. Now, he enters 2025 playing the best golf of his life.
Tommy Fleetwood set for the Ryder Cup after his first PGA Tour win
Fleetwood delivered on the big stage again, lifting the FedEx Cup with his first PGA Tour victory. He’s in red hot form, played well throughout the playoffs and is ready to take the Ryder Cup by the horns.
He came close to winning the St. Jude, which Justin Rose won, then finished T-4 at the BMW Championship the following week. Three straight high-level showings from Fleetwood made him arguably the best performer of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
He’s won two Ryder Cups, but now he aims for a first on American soil. Europe hasn’t won in America since 2012, but there are good omens. The last time they played the Ryder Cup in New York, Europe won in 1995.
We know the American 12, as Keegan Bradley made his captain’s picks shortly after the Tour Championship. Donald will announce his selections on Monday, September 1st, but Fleetwood doesn’t need to wait for those.
He’s an automatic qualifier alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy, who is laser-focused on the Ryder Cup. McIlroy said he desperately wants to win it in America, and this is a phenomenal opportunity to do so with Fleetwood at his brilliant best.