Tommy Fleetwood’s 2026 season can be defined by one frustrating theme: almost. He has consistently put himself in contention, collecting multiple high-profile top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including T4s at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Memorial Tournament, and The Open. Yet despite those strong showings, the elusive trophy remained out of reach.
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The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, one of Fleetwood’s favorite events, offered another opportunity to turn those near-misses into a breakthrough. Instead, the same story unfolded again. Fleetwood came close, but the title ultimately slipped away to Adrian Meronk—another promising chance gone, and another reminder of how tough 2026 has been for Fleetwood to convert powerful performances into victories.
Speaking at the post-event press conference, the Englishman reflected on yet another near-miss in what has been a challenging 2026 season: “Yeah, I felt like it was kind of, I don’t want to say due, you’re never due anything. But I felt like I played really well over the first three days and scored really, really poorly. I felt like yesterday was really frustrating. Three days of frustration but also a lot of good stuff,” Tommy Fleetwood said when asked about his performance at St. Andrews.
“Today, on what was the hardest day, I got it going a little bit. I hit a couple of iron shots that were great shots but still need a little bit of luck out here today, especially with those pin positions. Things just weren’t my way today. I feel better about it now.”
The 35-year-old feels a win is long overdue after a season in which he has consistently come close on the PGA Tour. Although he failed to lift a trophy, Fleetwood recorded eight top-10 finishes in 19 starts and missed the cut just once. He also made a handful of appearances on the DP World Tour, but once again, victory eluded him. His inability to convert strong performances into wins has also been reflected in the world rankings, with Fleetwood slipping from World No. 3 at the start of the season to No. 9.
But as Fleetwood pointed out, the frustration has not come from poor play, but from failing to get the results his performances have warranted. That was evident at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he opened with rounds of 70, 68, and 69. The Englishman felt he played well all three days, but the results didn’t quite reflect that.
That changed in the final round. Fleetwood finally got the reward his game had been threatening, carding a bogey-free eight-under 64. He made birdies on the 4th, 5th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 18th holes.
The blistering final round lifted Fleetwood to 17-under 271 for the championship, but it was not enough to close the gap at the top. He ultimately finished three strokes behind Adrian Meronk, who posted rounds of 71, 66, 63, and 68 to finish at 20-under 268 and claim the title.
However, Fleetwood is unlikely to be too disappointed. In fact, he said he enjoyed courses like St. Andrews precisely because he hasn’t conquered them yet. The Englishman said he always looks forward to returning to the iconic venue and having a “fun few days” there. Alongside St. Andrews, he also singled out Carnoustie and Kingsbarns as courses he particularly enjoys playing.
“I enjoy the tournament. It’s nice to have a good record somewhere where you feel pretty confident, in a way, and today was a ground,” he added.
The 35-year-old has already finished runner-up twice at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, making his near-misses notable. His first came in 2014, when he carded rounds of 69, 73, 62, and 68 to finish at 16-under 272, just one stroke behind Oliver Wilson. Four years later, Fleetwood came agonizingly close again, finishing runner-up to Lucas Bjerregaard by a single stroke after rounds of 71, 67, 67, and 69.
Despite falling short of the title, Fleetwood’s performance at the 2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship could provide a much-needed boost of confidence and motivation as he looks to turn his strong performances into a long-awaited victory.
“Yeah, absolutely. I was playing well last week in France. At Wentworth I was really poor and last week I was playing well. I was gutted I didn’t get to the weekend. I felt like I had done some really good work and I was playing well,” the Englishman said when asked about the impact of this event.
Fleetwood entered the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship sitting 49th in the Race to Dubai Rankings after the French Open, just inside the 50-man cut-off for the DP World Tour Championship. His T4 finish at St. Andrews proved crucial, lifting him to 34th and giving his confidence a timely boost. With three events remaining before the playoffs, Fleetwood now has even more motivation to build on that performance and secure strong finishes as he looks to carry his momentum into the season finale.
Fleetwood may have missed another chance to lift a trophy, but his performance at St. Andrews offers plenty of encouragement and could prove to be a timely turning point in his season.