At the BMW PGA Championship, we saw another reminder of what makes Tommy Fleetwood a firm fan favourite.
Paralysed from the waist down, Ian St John, who hails from Tramore in Ireland, is a regular competitor at tournaments for golfers with a disability.
But after stating in a social media post how he was refused access to a flight from Cork Airport to Liverpool due to his paragolfer wheelchair being too big, his story made an impression on Fleetwood.
St John was due to play in an EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association) tournament at Formby Hall, where six-time DP World Tour winner Fleetwood has a golf academy.
Compelled to do something, Fleetwood reached out to St John’s family to invite him to attend the BMW PGA Championship, the fourth Rolex Series event of the season at Wentworth Club.
St John, who also missed out on attending the Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa, was thrilled to hear of the act of generosity.
The Reds fan attended Friday’s action over the West Course, in the company of his wife Orla.
The visit to Wentworth was made more meaningful as St John’s wife was sadly recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Speaking to the DP World Tour, Fleetwood said: "He was attending an EDGA event at Formby Hall where TFA Southport is based so it touched a nerve that he got treated so badly.
"It was a gesture that we wanted to do with the DP World Tour and delighted he could come (even if he is a Liverpool fan!).
In a message from St John to Fleetwood and his wife Clare, he said: “It’s rare you meet people who are so generous, and Orla and I will forever be grateful for this.”
