Tommy Fleetwood is basking in the afterglow of the Ryder Cup victory. After a successful campaign at Marco Simone, winning three crucial points for his team, he is back on the greens at St. Andrews, a golf course he has spoken glowingly about many times. Paired up with amateur golfer Ogden Phiips II, the British golfer is currently looking for his maiden PGA Tour victory this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

But a Ryder Cup victory is not easy to get over, as his recent comments reveal. Lifting the trophy on Sunday is important. But no less important is keeping his Ryder Cup-themed shoes shiny and polished by the end of the tournament. During a press conference, Fleetwood couldn’t hide his concern for the shoes wearing which he sealed Europe’s victory at Marco Simone.

Why is Tommy Fleetwood worried about his shoes?

Fleetwood is in love with European-themed shoes. So much so that he didn’t want to wear them at this year’s Alfred Dunhill, afraid of ruining it. But in the end, he couldn’t resist the temptation.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Tournament is played through three courses over four days across Fife, Scotland. The weather condition is overcast, with clouds hanging around and rains pouring in occasionally. And because of it, Fleetwood fears that the mud might ruin his shoes.

Asked by a reporter at the first day’s press conference, the 32-year-old English golfer said, “Yeah, they are the only ones I’ve got. I actually didn’t really want to wear them. I was like, I’m going to ruin these shoes.” The six-time DP Tour winner will hence undoubtedly be extra cautious about hitting too far on the fairways or bunkers.

Fleetwood does care about winning here as well. Although this DP Tour event pairs amateurs with pros as a team, the three-time Ryder Cup champion aims to win this tournament. “I’ve dreamt of having a picture on Swilken Bridge with the trophy”, the current world no. 13 added. It makes one wonder why he cares so much about his shoes when winning the tournament carries such significance for him.

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What shoes is Fleetwood wearing?

Fleetwood has long been affiliated with the American apparel giant Nike. Before switching to TaylorMade, the golf pro used Nike clubs as well. In 2016, Nike stopped making clubs. But the 32-year-old hasn’t parted ways with Nike shoes. After wearing Nike Air Max 90G for a long time, Fleetwood switched to Nike Tiger Woods ’13 shoes in 2023.

But for this year’s Ryder Cup, Nike released a special European-themed Nike Air Zoom Victory 3 golf shoe with “prestige”, “tradition,” and “passion” inscribed in the insole. And, from Fleetwood’s comments, he is not willing to trade his single pair of Ryder Cup shoes for anything.

The Englishman at St. Andrews has two things to worry about: his first individual win this year and keeping his shoes clean. Whether he’ll be able to do both or neither, though, remains to be seen! Tune in to find out.

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