Tommy Fleetwood has explained why he decided to attend the LIV Golf Las Vegas event and described the differences he noticed between the breakaway circuit and the established tours.
The sight of the Englishman on the ground at February’s tournament at the Las Vegas Country Club sparked fresh speculation over his future, especially given his previous links to LIV.
Speaking to the Guardian, Fleetwood admitted he was curious to get a taste of the on-site experience but insisted the visit was entirely innocent and was more about catching up with old friends.
“I really didn’t think that much about it,” Fleetwood said. “I was over there, lots of us talk about LIV but never see it so I wanted to see what a tournament was like.
“There are also so many people there that we don’t see any more, who I would still class as friends. Players, people who work on the tour, my trainer works there. So I had a free morning, went for a few hours and that was it.”
LIV Golf, fronted by Greg Norman and backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, notably landed the signatures of two of Fleetwood’s Ryder Cup teammates ahead of its 2024 season.
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton both opted to make the switch and team up together, while Fleetwood decided to remain on the PGA Tour.
“I obviously know what I am doing, where I am playing,” he added. “You can’t do much about what’s said elsewhere. It was the same as going to that event, I knew why I was there. I don’t find it distracting at all.”
As for what he took from his time on the ground at Las Vegas Country Club, where Dustin Johnson won the individual title and Smash GC topped the team standings, he noted some differences but ultimately walked away feeling like he had attended “another golf tournament.”
“They are obviously doing pretty well for what they are,” Fleetwood said. “The players seem to enjoy it, seem to enjoy playing on that tour. One of the first things I noticed was that everybody seems happy, chilled, relaxed.
“There are certain things I wasn’t used to. The music, I don’t know how I would feel about playing with that.
“Beyond that my biggest takeaway was that it was just another golf tournament. Everyone seemed very professional and working very hard. It’s basically just a bunch of people who you knew out here that are now there. So many things have just carried over.”
Fleetwood tees it up at the Valero Texas Open ahead of The Masters next week at Augusta National.
