Tommy Fleetwood backs Hulton Park bid to be England's next Ryder Cup venue

Tommy Fleetwood wants to add a win on English soil to his Ryder Cup CV - and he’s throwing his weight behind a bid for the match to be held close to his home town of Southport.

Tommy Fleetwood speaks in a press conference prior to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which starts on Thursday. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

Speaking at St Andrews as he prepared to join two of his team-mates, Matt Fitzpatick and Bob MacIntyre, in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the man who carried Europe over the line in Rome on Sunday opened up on why he’s become an ambassador for Hulton Park.

England last hosted the Ryder Cup in 2002 and Fleetwood is hoping the purpose-built new course in Bolton can earn the right to host an edition of the transatlantic tussle in the future.

“I think the bidding process is something that's going on all the time,” said Fleetwood, who has now been on triumphant teams in both France and Italy.

“I've had the opportunity to be a bit closer to a project that's going on at Hulton Park in greater Manchester in the northwest, which is always going to be something that's very close to my heart, and the possibility of having a Ryder Cup venue there was clearly something I was very interested in and what that can bring to the area.

“It would be a dream. I've played three Ryder Cups now and hopefully I'm going to play a lot more. And, honestly, there's nothing quite like playing a Ryder Cup at home in Europe. It's very, very cool.

“I've never had the experience to play one in England, let alone the opportunity to play one from where I'm from in the northwest. Being involved in a project like that is very cool for me and the opportunities that it will bring not just for golf but anyone.

“Jobs, housing around the area, I think it's much, much needed, and along with that, growing the game and introducing more people to the game that are from my area will be great. We'll see how it goes.”

Reflecting on Sunday, it was fascinating to hear Fleetwood reflect on why he took a driver off the tee at the par-416th after his opponent, Rickie Fowler, had already put his tee shot into the water.

“There were two options, to be honest,” he said, smiling. “I spoke to Fino (caddie Iain Finnis) about the mini-driver, which I knew would draw, so I knew I was never going to hit it right with the mini driver but it was going to go short left.

“In my mind, Rickie was still going to make par and it was just an opportunity to step up and one good shot was going to win the Ryder Cup, which still gives me goosebumps now when I think about it. For me, I just keep the driver down a little bit and put a swing on it. That was all that I was thinking.

“At the time, just what an amazing opportunity it was. You practise your whole life and all of a sudden, me, Tommy Fleetwood from Southport is stood with one good shot to win the Ryder Cup. I still can't believe it went straight, to be honest.

“But I was very happy I have to say when I looked up and saw where the ball was heading, I was very pleased and then you can't really see where the ball lands. The sun kind of shines at you and all you have to do is wait for what the noise is going to be in the crowd and it was on the green and I was like, yeah, that will do.”