"I'm so sorry" - Tommy Fleetwood issues statement over French Open withdrawal

England's Tommy Fleetwood has revealed he "hated" having to withdraw from the French Open but insists he was simply too ill to continue.

Fleetwood pulled out before Saturday's third round at Le Golf National after carding rounds of 69 and 67 to reach 6-under par, seven shots behind overnight leader and eventual champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

The 35-year-old said he had hoped he would recover in time to play the weekend at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue but was ultimately unable to do so.

"I hated having to withdraw from The French Open this week, I honestly thought I might have had a chance of playing but I was too ill," Fleetwood wrote on social media.

"I'm so sorry to all the fans that supported this week and especially to all of the sponsors and organisers of such a great event.

"I have so many fond memories of Le Golf National and will be back in the future."

Fleetwood did not disclose the nature of his illness and tournament organisers gave no further details beyond confirming that he had withdrawn because of illness.

His early exit was particularly disappointing given his history at Le Golf National.

Fleetwood won the French Open at the venue in 2017 and was unbeaten alongside Francesco Molinari in Europe's successful Ryder Cup campaign there the following year. 

He also won an Olympic silver medal at the course in 2024.

The withdrawal was particularly disappointing as he was hoping to bounce back off a disappointing performance at the BMW PGA Championship where he was among the high-profile players to miss the cut. 

His exit was also surprising given his record on the West Course and his strong season on the PGA Tour. 

Fleetwood has made 19 PGA Tour starts, recording eight top-10 finishes and earning more than $7.7m in prize money. 

His best results include tied fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, tied fifth at the Truist Championship and tied fourth at the Memorial Tournament.

He was also played well in the men's majors, although victory in one of golf's big four continues to elude him. 

Fleetwood finished tied 33rd at the Masters and missed the cut at the PGA Championship, before tying 11th at the US Open.

He then produced his best major result of the year with a tied-fourth finish at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, closing with a four-under-par 68.

Fleetwood also qualified for the season-ending Tour Championship, finishing tied 11th at East Lake.

His next scheduled event is the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, although his participation will depend on his recovery. 

His published schedule also includes the DP World India Championship later in the autumn.

Fleetwood is currently ranked ninth in the world and is an eight-time winner on the DP World Tour.