Reuters
Paris 2024 Olympics – Golf – Men’s Round 1 – Le Golf National, Guyancourt, France – August 01, 2024. Tommy Fleetwood of Britain in action. REUTERS/Lisa Leutner
Reuters
Paris 2024 Olympics – Golf – Men’s Round 1 – Le Golf National, Guyancourt, France – August 01, 2024. Tommy Fleetwood of Britain in action. REUTERS/Lisa Leutner
Tommy Fleetwood’s 2026 trip to Augusta is relieving, at least in some sense. Unlike the PLAYERS Championship, where he had to worry about his family’s well-being, his beloved family is there with him, safe, and for this, he is grateful.
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“I’m lucky that my family is with me this week,” he said. “I think it’s difficult. You can only sort of, I guess, go on your personal experiences of whatever is going on and not get caught up in the bigger picture of things that are out of your control and whatever is going on in the world.”
Tommy Fleetwood and his wife, Clare, who also manages his career and handles his sponsorships, have been based in Dubai since around 2022. Their three boys, Frankie, Oscar, and Murray, go to school there. The family lives near Jumeirah Golf Estates, which is also where the Tommy Fleetwood Academy operates. His title sponsor is DP World, one of the largest logistics companies in the world and deeply rooted in Dubai.
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“I think the main thing is hoping that everybody is always safe, and that’s the main thing, whether that be family, friends, whatever is going on, students, whatever that is. I think we have no impact on what is going on in the world at any given time, but you just hope that anyone that is close to you or associated with you or anybody in general is safe; that’s the main thing, and there’s nothing more you can do about that.”
In early March, during the PLAYERS, Fleetwood shared that while he was traveling for competition, his family was still there in Dubai. Referring to the entire situation as a strange time, he praised the Dubai government for handling situations really well.
The situation escalated on February 28, 2026, when U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region, including areas hosting U.S. forces. The Strait of Hormuz was shut, disrupting global trade.
The UAE has remained exposed. Air defenses have intercepted multiple threats, and incidents—including a drone strike in Fujairah—have underlined the risk. As of April 7, tensions continue with no clear de-escalation.
The disruption to the golf world highlights part of the story. Several LIV Golf players who were based in Dubai found themselves completely stranded when the conflict began. Jon Rahm organized a private jet out of Oman for seven players, including Lee Westwood and Anirban Lahiri. They had to travel by bus to the UAE-Omani border, cross on foot, and then fly out to attend LIV’s next event in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, DP World Tour player Richard Mansell made a public appeal on Instagram after a private jet he had booked for his 35-week-pregnant wife, Ellie, was canceled due to permit issues. Although he eventually found a way out, it took several days and a public plea to his social media followers.
For Fleetwood, this situation extends beyond personal concern. It is tied directly to the life and work he has built in the UAE.
Tommy Fleetwood Academy: What It Is and Who It Serves
The Tommy Fleetwood Academy was launched in November 2022 at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, in partnership with DP World. It operates from the DP World Golf Performance Centre, one of the most advanced coaching facilities in the region. The academy is managed by a team of fully qualified PGA professionals and serves golfers of all ages and skill levels, ranging from complete beginners to junior players competing at an international level.
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The program is built around structured coaching that balances discipline with enjoyment, following a format that draws directly from Fleetwood’s own development as a junior player. Classes are split by age and experience, and the goal is to give players a path from their very first lesson all the way through to a competitive level if they want it.
In November 2025, just months before the conflict began, Fleetwood expanded the operation. A second Tommy Fleetwood Academy opened at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, making it the first TFA location in the UAE capital. The new site includes two swing studios with advanced simulators, an indoor putting studio, and top-level coaching technology, including Trackman and Sam PuttLab.
The staff, the coaches, and the junior players going through Fleetwood’s program are all in a region that is currently under threat. The academy is still open. Life in Dubai has not completely stopped. But the tension in the air is real, and the people connected to Fleetwood’s name in the UAE are living through something that has no clear end date yet.
Written by
Edited by
Riya Singhal