PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — There is precious little room on TPC Sawgrass for distractions with disaster waiting around every dogleg, but Tommy Fleetwood could have been forgiven if he found himself distracted during Thursday’s opening round at The Players Championship.
Fleetwood’s family were among thousands who were stranded in Dubai by the widening war in the Middle East. Fleetwood’s wife, Clare, and their three children were finally able to fly from Dubai to England on Wednesday but only after one flight was cancelled and another was delayed multiple times.
“They got lucky [with their flight],” Fleetwood said following an opening 69 that left him tied for fifth place. “It wasn’t easy and it was unsettling, although it’s easy for me to say that while I’m in Ponte Vedra, but it was unsettling for them.”
The Fleetwoods split time between their home in Dubai and their families’ homes in Southport, England, but, like many, they struggled to find flights out of the United Arab Emirates as the war between the United States-Israel and Iran has intensified.
Fleetwood said he would never use his family’s travel plight as an excuse for his play, but he admitted it made the round easier knowing they’d arrived in England.
“They were safe, when you know they are fine it makes it easier and Clare was relieved,” Fleetwood said.