Tommy Fleetwood has hit out at the ‘easy’ criticism aimed at Rory McIlroy this year after a series of near misses for the Northern Irishman. McIlroy, 35, is currently on course to win his sixth Race to Dubai title this week, which would see him surpass the great Seve Ballesteros.
However, his season has been tainted by his failure to land a fifth major title, most notably at the US Open where his final hole meltdown saw him lose out to Bryson DeChambeau.
He also came up agonisingly short at the BMW Championship at Wentworth, losing in a ply-off to Billy Horschel, and finished a shot behind Rasmus Hojgaard on home soil at the Irish Open.
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McIlroy has also cut a divisive figure due to his strong stance of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, although has now conceded a proposed merger with the PGA Tour could benefit the game. And Fleetwood believes he deserves more recognition for continually being in contention at big events.
“I think Rory has had a great year,” he said. “Of course, I think it’s easy for everyone to look at what could have happened if things go a little different way. But at the same time, you only get to talk about those things if he is consistently up there with a chance of winning week-in, week-out.
“He’s shown amazing consistency. So close to winning a major, so close to winning a bunch of events while winning a few at the same time. You know, it’s obviously not over yet but he’s in with a very good chance and he has a chance of winning another Race to Dubai title.”
In the Race to Dubai standings, McIlroy is currently more than 1,700 points clear of South African player Thriston Lawrence in second place, with Fleetwood himself down in seventh. The Englishman further argued that regardless of his eventual major haul, the Northern Irishman will go down as an all-time great.
“Of course, Rory is held to a higher standard than pretty much everybody else in the world of golf,” he added. “But I think he’s shown amazing golf again this year, and he’s shown why he’s one of the best to ever do it.”
The two players have been Ryder Cup team-mates in 2018, 2021, and most recently 2023 in Rome. And both are set to be involved again when Team Europe defend their title in Bethpage next September.
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McIlroy’s latest near miss came last week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. His overall score of 21-under par was only good enough for joint-third place, three shots behind eventual winner Paul Waring.
Starting the final round five shots off the Englishman, McIlroy put the pressure on with a sublime 64. However, Waring held his nerve to himself fire a 66, holding off Tyrrell Hatton in second by two strokes.
