Back in the U.S., Tommy Fleetwood returning to competition at 3M Open

DUBLIN, Ohio – Tommy Fleetwood is back in the U.S. and set to play in next week’s 3M Open.

Fleetwood hadn’t returned to the States since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the sport in mid-March. He’s spent the time at home with his family in England and said it “wasn’t a consideration” to stay away for months at a time, especially with the mandatory two-week quarantine for travelers on both sides of the Atlantic. That stance grew some pointed criticism from Rory McIlroy, who said last month that, “If I were in their shoes … I would have done that, because if you really care about your career and care about moving forward, you should be here.”

Having only dropped from 10th to 12th in the world rankings, Fleetwood’s name was listed in the field for 3M, marking his first appearance since The Players, which was canceled after one round. Prior to a missed cut at Bay Hill, he had four consecutive top-20 finishes worldwide to start the year.

Fleetwood’s wife and manager, Clare, said in an email that Tommy has been quarantining for two weeks in the Hamptons and playing Shinnecock Hills. “All good,” she said. Fleetwood plans to travel to Minnesota on Sunday night.

Fleetwood would likely meet with the media early next week to share his upcoming plans, but it’s expected that he’d play at least three events in a row, with the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and PGA Championship upcoming. The FedExCup playoffs begin two weeks after that.

Fleetwood is one of the 3M headliners, along with Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau and defending champion Matthew Wolff.