Tommy Fleetwood: Abu Dhabi victory was one for the purists

Tommy Fleetwood is originally from Southport

Dull old golf, hey? It is such a shame that poll which branded it the most boring sport to watch was not conducted this week.

Anyone with a degree of sporting appreciation would surely have found great fascination in witnessing Tommy Fleetwood's majestic Abu Dhabi victory not to mention triumphs elsewhere for swashbuckling Spaniards Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia.

Fresh from his win at the Career Builder Challenge in California, Rahm now travels to San Diego to defend his Farmers Insurance title. The field includes a certain Tiger Woods, playing his first fully fledged PGA Tour event in a year.

It is hardly boring is it?

Certainly it was a privilege to witness Fleetwood successfully defending his Abu Dhabi title. It will long be remembered for his brilliance on a windswept back-nine when he came home in a six-under-par 30 to complete a closing 65.

The astonished look on Rory McIlroy's face when he saw his 27-year-old rival's scorecard told the story of just how extraordinary these numbers were.

But just as impressive was the way Fleetwood began the tournament. He hit every green in regulation in his opening 66 which was an emphatic statement of intent.

No need for miraculous escapes but never, let's use that word again, boring. This was a supreme display of controlled golf, the work of a craftsman at the top of his game and well worth the appreciation of anyone watching.

Fleetwood was determined not to relinquish the title that provided the foundations for the season of his life last year. It helped him become the European Tour's number one on the Race to Dubai.

And behind his performance last week lay a healthy dose of self-realisation which has kept him grounded in his quest to make sure he is no one-season wonder.

Fleetwood does not need telling how close he was to missing out on that order of merit title.

"If Justin Rose had shot level par on that back nine on Sunday in the Race to Dubai, then I wouldn't have had that Race to Dubai title," Fleetwood observed.

Justin Rose won the Indonesian Masters last month

"It was important to look at it that way; that maybe try and prove as if you were hurt and you had not had that whole euphoria of achieving something amazing in your career."

Plenty of hard work went into his preparations for Abu Dhabi and for his impressive display representing Europe a week earlier in the EurAsia Cup victory.

It seems inconceivable that Fleetwood will not be on continental duty again come September when Europe seek to win back the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National - a course where he won last year's French Open.

And it is not unnatural to expect this likable long-haired character from Southport to mount worthwhile challenges at this year's majors, if he can maintain his current confidence.

Fleetwood was fourth at last year's US Open and given his wind play last Sunday must be considered a decent shout for the 2018 Open at Carnoustie, where he set the course record with a 63 in last year's Alfred Dunhill Links.

"I do like the course and I like how the holes set up," Fleetwood said. "We'll see where my game is at at that time, or where we are figuring in the world of golf.

"Last year at The Open was kind of the biggest sort of euphoria I've ever had at a tournament, which was amazing."

Carrying the expectation of a local lad made good, he began with a disappointing 76 at Royal Birkdale but responded with a superb 69 to make the cut before closing rounds of 66 and 70 to finish 27th.

"You know, honestly, that second round was a better round than today to make the cut, nearly," Fleetwood smiled as he sat alongside the Abu Dhabi trophy he so brilliantly refused to relinquish.

Of course, the depth of talent at the top of the game makes it foolish to make any wild predictions. All we know is that Fleetwood has a game that, when on song, is a match for pretty much anyone.

Twelve months ago he held off world number one Dustin Johnson to win and this time he had a re-energised McIlroy in his wing mirrors.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy finished two shots back in Abu Dhabi

The Northern Irishman contributed plenty to last week's entertainment after three months off and if he allies a fraction more accuracy to his imperious ball-striking he will take some stopping at this week's Dubai Desert Classic.

Up against Masters champion Garcia, who arrives after victory in Singapore, it again looks a week well worth watching. There is even a rare cameo appearance from the 54-year-old Colin Montgomerie.

And we also need to look stateside and reflect on Rahm's achievement of making it to number two in the world following last week's play-off success in California.

"You dream of doing those things, you want to do them, you believe in yourself, but to get to where only Seve (Ballesteros), Ollie (Jose Maria Olazabal) and Sergio have gotten, coming out of Spain, and now me, at the age of 23, it's beyond belief," he said.

The good news for those of us on this side of the pond is that Rahm is vowing to head in this direction later in the year. "From summer on I'll try to play a lot more golf in Europe.

"I have a pretty good record there as well," said the reigning Irish Open champion.

"I like being close to home and I like changing the game of golf, going back to European style. So I do want to support the European Tour as much as I can."

This week he shares the stage with Woods and it will be fascinating to see how the American veteran fares.

Woods appeared strong in his comeback in the Bahamas at the end of last year, but this will be a much sterner test against a field hungry for potentially life-changing success.

That wasn't the case during his return in an exhibition 18-man field and this week at Torrey Pines should tell us much more about the potential of the 42-year-old version of Tiger Woods.

Again, it will be more than interesting to watch. Indeed, right now it feels there's never a dull moment for the game of golf.