Tommy Fleetwood is aiming to use the Scottish Open as an opportunity to get himself back in contention for the Race to Dubai, and insists he didn’t need a break after the Travelers Championship

Tommy Fleetwood is in action at the Scottish Open this weekend

Tommy Fleetwood has admitted he is eager to get himself back in contention for the Race To Dubai while at the Scottish Open this week.

Fleetwood came tantalizingly close to winning his first PGA Tour event at the Travelers Championship, missing out on the final hole to Keegan Bradley in heartbreaking style.

But despite the setback, Fleetwood was in good spirits at the Renaissance Club on Wednesday as he smiled for photos and signed autographs for hundreds of adoring fans eager to get a glimpse at him – and it seems he has an ulterior motive for wanting to put things right this week.

The PGA Tour is going into the European leg of the 2025 season, with the Scottish Open serving as the perfect warm-up event for the Open Championship – which is held next week at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

But for Fleetwood, this week’s tournament – which boasts a strong field featuring the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele – is the perfect shot for him to launch himself back in Race to Dubai contention.

Currently, Fleetwood is sat outside the provisional cutoff for the DP World Tour Category 10, eight points behind Clement Sordet. And Fleetwood is planning to make up some ground this weekend.

Tommy Fleetwood is using this weekend as a chance to claim some Race to Dubai points

Speaking to Mirror Sport US after his Pro/Am, the European Ryder Cup star spoke about the upcoming Open Championship and how he’s splitting his attention this week.

He said: “Of course it’s there, it’s good to be playing the week before a major. I like that side of it, but this is a huge week.

“You’ve got world rankings, race to Dubai, I’m way down in race to Dubai and I need to focus on getting myself back up there.

“The Open is next week, we’ll prep for that and go from there.”

Speaking at his press conference earlier in the day, Rory McIlroy explained the benefit of having a break away from the sport – having skipped the Travelers Championship.

But Fleetwood didn’t seem too fussed about having time away, and explained that his two-week stint after the Travelers gave him a brief chance to relax, but he didn’t want much more than that.

Tommy Fleetwood endured another late disappointment at the Travelers Championship(Image: AP)

It is a break, but it’s only two weeks. We very often get two weeks off… well, we don’t very often get two weeks off, but you get a few spells very early on in the year where you get two weeks off in between a run, this is another two week off spell.

“I think it’s just the change that so many of us have been playing in America, then you come over and there’s that section of the year in the UK, it’s links golf, it just feels like it’s switched up [more] there. Maybe two weeks feels a little longer? I don’t know.

“For me, living in Dubai, playing in America, coming back over to the UK, it’s like a UK summer. It’s only two weeks, it’s not a big break.”