Tommy Fleetwood believes that both Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari would make excellent future Ryder Cup captains for Europe. European golf is still reeling after triumphing over Team USA in Rome last year, with the Englishman playing a key role in securing the victory.
Fleetwood's putt on the 16th at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club officially sealed the fate of the Americans. However, he was on the losing side when his GB&I team lost to Molinari's Continental Europe in the Team Cup in Abu Dhabi - a precursor to the main event, which debuted in January 2023.
His fellow countryman, Rose, will captain the British and Irish team in the second instalment next January, and Fleetwood hopes that the 44-year-old will perform better than he did in 2023. Yet, he further feels both Rose and Molinari have the potential to one day lead a Ryder Cup team, after Luke Donald.
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"Justin and Fran (Molinari) are obvious candidates for future Ryder Cup captains," Fleetwood declared when asked about the warm-up event in Abu Dhabi and his four-point loss to Molinari's team in 2023.
"It [the Team Cup] was amazing for me. I wouldn't consider myself at a stage in my career where I would be seen as ready to captain a team, but it was an unbelievable experience and a massive honour to captain the GB&I side. I feel like I did learn a lot, but I believe Justin will be far more prepared than I was and far more ready for it.
"I think he's probably at a stage where he's naturally going to lead. Whereas I tried to lead, I kind of just felt like I wanted to play with the team as well. I'm looking forward to it."
Post-Europe's gripping Ryder Cup triumph over the USA in Italy, which followed after rectifying their painful 19-9 defeat by Steve Strickler's American squad in 2021, Fleetwood reflected on the proactive steps taken after their setback, reports the Mirror.
"Going back to getting the plane back from Whistling Straits [where the 2021 Ryder Cup was held], we got beaten pretty convincingly," Fleetwood admitted. "We were thinking of what we could do better and what would give us the best opportunity to compete in Italy.
"One of the first things we came up with was having a team event again," he said, highlighting the Team Cup, formerly known as the Hero Cup, as an integral stepping stone to achieving Ryder Cup readiness.
"Timing-wise, January in Abu Dhabi was absolutely perfect, and we were lucky to come up with the event. I do now think the ecosystem of Team Europe is to probably expect a captain of this team event to move on to being a captain in the Ryder Cup. It will be great moving forward, and hopefully, it can carry on."
The upcoming 2025 Team Cup is scheduled from January 10-12 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. 18 players, including Dubai resident Fleetwood, are set to partake, although World No. 3 Rory McIlroy is expected to miss the event.
