Tommy Fleetwood will look to call upon his “special” memories of Le Golf National as he bids for Olympic gold this week.
Fleetwood won the Open de France outside Paris in 2017 and another highlight the following year as he won four points in five matches to help Europe regain the Ryder Cup.
MOLIWOOD pairing
He put together a winning combination with Francesco Molinari – the two have won all four games together – and the Italian scored the winning point to secure victory for the United States.
Asked about his favorite memory from that week, Fleetwood said: “Winning time. It was my first Ryder Cup, that winning moment on the 16th hole when Fran finally got it, which was him for me.
“That Ryder Cup was a special week and this is a very important week. Anytime you get on the golf course and play well there and have ideas for good golf shots, you feel better than some area where you've been struggling.
“When I was looking to make the Olympics, I came to the Golf National, first of all, there is a lesson to be learned. “When you've played it a lot, that's always helpful.”
TOKYO Olympics
Fleetwood performed well in his Tokyo Olympics debut three years ago although an 11-under-par total was good enough for joint-16th, seven shots clear of gold medalist Xander Schauffele.
The 33-year-old goes into Thursday's first round buoyed by the efforts of close friend swimmer James Guy, who helped Team GB to victory in the 4x200m freestyle relay on Tuesday evening.
“He sent me a picture saying “love you, brother” with his gold medal. Watching at home, I was incredibly happy for him, the way he swam and how well the team did. I am proud and happy for him.
“I think the Olympics are amazing, I really do. I feel very lucky to be here and to be among you. It inspires me, it inspires me.”
Unlike his Team GB teammate Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick has won big after winning the 2022 US Open and while he won't be putting Olympic gold in the same bracket, he is relishing the experience.
OLYMPIC GOLD CHANCES
Ahead of his first appearance at the Games, the 29-year-old said: “The gold medal is not at the top of the list for golfers, the four majors are. There is no doubt about that.
“But I can say for sure that it is less than that. Before I get here and get a feel for the Olympics themselves, you probably underestimate how big they are.
“When you get there and see the difficulty of the whole event and what it means to other people, not just as an athlete and a golfer, you realize that a gold medal can feel very special.
“I always remember growing up watching the Olympics and understanding how big the story is.
“I would say it's a cool feeling that you're looking for something different, and you feel like you're part of something a little bigger.”
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