Fleetwood targets World No. 1 with defence of Dubai Invitational title

Tommy Fleetwood is relishing the challenge of playing against a world-class field at the Dubai Invitational as he looks to successfully defend his title and mount a charge towards the World No. 1 ranking at Dubai Creek Resort from Jan. 15-18.

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The Englishman produced a dramatic birdie-birdie finish at the inaugural edition in 2024 to edge out Ryder Cup teammate Rory Mcllroy on the final day, and he heads into the opening event of the International Swing full of confidence after a career-defining 2025 season.

The 34-year-old became only the second Englishman in history to capture the PGA TOUR's prestigious FedExCup title with his victory at the TOUR Championship.

He followed that triumph with a victory at the DP World India Championship before playing a starring role in Europe's historic Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black, finishing as the leading points scorer across both teams.

"I played really well here two years ago," said the Dubai resident. "I enjoyed playing with Rory in that last round.

"Any time you get to test yourself against one of the greatest of all time is always a lot of fun. It's a great finish. I think it was a good reminder that anything can happen, that you just have to stick in. I felt like I had control of the tournament on the back nine and Rory came through. Thriston (Lawrence) had an amazing round. And things went my way. It was just a reminder that you have to keep going and play until the very end.