Safe From Tensions Near Home, Tommy Fleetwood Starts Well at Players Championship

The Englishman resides full-time in the United Arab Emirates and said his family got out this week in the wake of Middle East tensions.

Tommy Fleetwood opened with a 3-under 69 on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass. | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tommy Fleetwood acknowledged a few days ago that the situation was at the very least somewhat disconcerting. His family was safe, he said, and he praised the response of officials in the United Arab Emirates, where he resides full-time, in the aftermath of Middle East tensions.

Nonetheless, Fleetwood said Thursday after his first round at the Players Championship that his family, including wife, Clare, had been able to get a flight out of Dubai on Wednesday and relocate to England, near Cheshire.

Fleetwood, 36, is from the town of Southport, home of Royal Birkdale, where this summer’s British Open will be played.

After several flight delays Wednesday, Fleetwood’s wife and three sons—Frankie, Mo and Oscar—were able to get out ahead of other disruptions in the area.

“It’s been a strange time,” Fleetwood said. “I can honestly say that my family have been very, very safe. I think the UAE, the country, have done an unbelievable job at making everybody feel safe and secure and handling that.

“So I think we feel very lucky ... the main thing has been that they are safe. I honestly can’t speak highly enough about how well the country has handled things for the people that are over there. Just I haven’t experienced it. I’ve been over here.”

Fleetwood, who moved to the area in 2022, began his 2026 season in Dubai, playing two events on the DP World Tour, the Dubai Invitational and the Dubai Desert Classic.

He then came to the U.S. and is in the midst of playing his fourth event in five weeks, having started last month at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He tied for seventh at the Genesis Invitational.

The U.S.-Israel war against Iran has led to numerous flight cancellations in the Middle East, including the main Dubai airport which is a major hub for worldwide travel. Reuters reported that two drone strikes initiated by Iran at the Dubai airport hampered air travel again on Wednesday.

Fleetwood downplayed the issues having any impact on him and his golf.

“I’m here, my dad is with me. I’ve got it good,” he said after a 3-under-par 69 that has him two shots behind early leader Marverick McNealy. “I’m here trying to play golf and working on it. Golf has its ups and downs, but I’m sort of still enjoying the process of practicing and working on that everything’s O.K.”

Fleetwood started on the back nine at TPC Sawgrass and made six straight pars before an eagle-birdie-birdie run at the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. Three bogeys and two birdies over the first nine holes led to his final score.

2 Holes. 53 Feet of Putts. T1.

Tommy Fleetwood goes eagle-birdie on 16 and 17 to get to 3-under.

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“I struggled with the pace of the greens all day really,” said Fleetwood, who won the Tour Championship last year. “They took me by surprise. Still look a bit brownish but they weren’t that fast today. I just left way too many putts short and struggled with my pace a little bit, and up until that point on 16 had like two or three sort of mid-range chances; hadn’t holed anything.

“Hit a great shot into 16 and holed that; 17 and 18 ... a complete bonus of a stretch, but it was really good golf through that point.”