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Tommy Fleetwood has revealed his breakthrough win in the US last month came against the traumatic backdrop of his son undergoing spinal surgery.
The 34-year-old delivered one of the most popular victories of the year by claiming the Tour Championship on his 164th start on the PGA Tour.
He has now disclosed that while he was attempting to break that duck, his family were facing considerable stress at home in Dubai because his 17-year-old stepson Murray Craig was in hospital.
Fleetwood said: ‘Our middle boy, Mo, had a spinal operation just over a month ago now so my family were unable to travel.
'They actually just got home before we got home. He had three and a half week in the hospital.’
Tommy Fleetwood with sons Oscar (left), Murray (right) and Franklin (middle) and his wife at the Masters earlier this year
Fleetwood was not joined by wife of eight years Clare (pictured in 2018) or the rest of the family at the final hole of his triumph on the PGA Tour
Fleetwood reported his stepson is now recovering well as he gears up to play at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Murray is the son of Fleetwood's wife Clare, 56, from her previous marriage.
It is a quirk that having finally won stateside, and seven times on the DP World Tour, Fleetwood is yet to do so in a professional tournament on English soil.
The world No 6 said: ‘That can be another one to add to the list of things that I haven't done yet but I'll continue to try.’
Naturally this stop at the European Tour’s flagship event is a significant milestone in the calendar, and yet it also has the feel of a momentary prelude to the Ryder Cup.
The intrigue around Fleetwood is whether he is able to carry momentum into that match having just lifted a monkey off his back with his win at East Lake.
He said: ‘Of all the emotions that come with that win, definitely relief was part of it. I was just glad that I got one over the line.
Fleetwood's 17-year-old stepson Murray (left) was in hospital during his PGA Tour win
‘I think it was an amazing thing to achieve and an amazing tournament to win. I think there was a narrative building that I had been up there a lot and hadn't got it done.
'But I always try and think in the right way and speak the right way, and I still think all of those things are relative. I would like to feel that it was that sort of journey to get my first PGA Tour tournament.
‘It took such a long time and I'm glad that that's done; it might take that long to win another. But I think it's just nice that I'm sort of off that list, if you like, of people that hadn't won.
‘I celebrated in a sort of mild manner. It was just a nice, enjoyable time to share with everyone. But then your mind moves towards such an amazing part of the season still to come. It's Ryder Cup season. We have that focus on.’
