Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood’s friendship is no secret in the golf world, and their bond often shines beyond the fairways. This week, it was McIlroy’s small but heartfelt gesture toward Fleetwood’s 5-year-old son, Franklin, that melted fans’ hearts even more.

Here’s why: Ryder Cup Europe’s Instagram account just dropped a video of McIlroy and Fleetwood practicing together before the BMW PGA Championship this week. The video’s highlight wasn’t just the practice, though. McIlroy stole the moment when he went over to Fleetwood’s 5-year-old son, Franklin, and shook hands with him. The video had the word “Family 💙” stamped across the screen. On the DP World Tour page, another clip showed McIlroy telling Franklin, “Poppy [McIlroy’s daughter] is very much looking forward to seeing you.” Franklin couldn’t help but smile.

The timing makes it juicier. When Fleetwood finally broke through on the PGA Tour after 11 years, neither his wife Clare nor Franklin was there. He ended up celebrating with his caddie, his stepson, and his buddy Justin Thomas. But fans were quick to point out who was additionally missing: Rory McIlroy. McIlroy, who had finished his final round earlier in the day (he finished T23), instead hopped on a plane with his caddie, Harry Diamond, to catch Novak Djokovic at the US Open. THis might have created speculations that the Ryder Cup duo might have been going through a spat.

However, the few who had their doubts were reassured after this Instagram post. Besides, there is more than enough instances of the two to prove their friendship.

Just months before, Fleetwood had hung around Augusta after his T21 finish, so that he could congratulate McIlroy on finally snagging his long-awaited career Grand Slam. In fact, Fleetwood even credited McIlroy as his inspiration after winning the FedEx Cup. He said, “I am nowhere near Rory’s career, but I think him winning the Masters this year was a great show of resilience and mental strength. I drew on that.” Fleetwood finished with a final round score of 2-under 68, bringing his overall score to 18-under 262 for the tournament.

Another gesture that caught fans’ attention was when Rory McIlory and Tommy Fleetwood shared a heartfelt hug on the course. McIlory, seemingly on his way elsewhere, immediately made a beeline for Fleetwood when he spotted his Ryder Cup partner.

The thing is, these two have always had each other’s backs. Fleetwood once said that Rory is “the best player of this generation.” McIlroy has also hyped the Englishman plenty — like when Fleetwood won silver in the Paris Olympics, McIlroy couldn’t stop smiling about it. “Yeah, amazing — I think he did, hopefully,” McIlroy said at the time. Even his daughter Poppy adores Fleetwood. At the 2023 Scottish Open, cameras caught her tugging at her mom because she wanted to give Tommy a hug.

Additionally, their Ryder Cup pairing, known fondly as “Fleetwood Mac,” is hugely popular, with McIlroy calling Fleetwood his favorite Ryder Cup partner. With Bethpage on the horizon, it will be intersting to see what these two will bring to the table if they are paired up together again.

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood’s Ryder Cup scene

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood have built quite the Ryder Cup legacy together, with memorable performances in 2018, 2021, and 2023. The most recent one being the most significant as their pair was vital in Europe’s team effort at Marco Simone, Italy. They had a match score of 2 & 1, and they defeated the American duo of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, a highly regarded pairing on Team USA. Their win was part of Europe’s dominant opening session, in which the team swept all foursomes matches 4-0, a historic achievement.

But heading into the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, it looks like that familiar duo may not open the week as partners. Captain Luke Donald has split them up in the BMW PGA Championship, pairing Fleetwood with Justin Rose while McIlroy works with Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm. While nothing is final until match day, the move suggests Donald is testing out new combinations and strategies for the tough away fixtures.

That said, it would be no surprise if McIlroy and Fleetwood find themselves back together when the moment calls for it.