Joachim B Hansen tops leaderboard at seven underFleetwood and Sergio García among six players on five underSurprise that Tommy Fleetwood has slipped to 43rd in the world – and the fifth-ranked Englishman – owes everything to appreciation of his talent. Before the pandemic, Fleetwood was inside the top 10 and looked a certainty to claim at least one major championship. Instead there has been a winless run that now stretches back to late 2019.
An opening round of 67 at the Dubai Desert Classic suggested Fleetwood is of a mind to return to earlier prominence. There has not quite been cause to ponder where it all went wrong, but day one at the Emirates Club supplied a reminder of what an impressive sight Fleetwood in full flow can be. He dropped just one shot, at the 13th, but easily offset it with six birdies.