Tommy Fleetwood is relishing another chance to fulfill his childhood dreams by chasing a hometown major victory in The Open at Royal Birkdale. The English golfer is well aware that a 'Super Sunday' could be on the cards this weekend as the country dreams of an Open Championship-England World Cup double.
Ending a Long Drought for English Golf
An English-born golfer hasn't won The Open since Nick Faldo secured his third Claret Jug at Muirfield in Scotland in 1992. Fleetwood would love nothing more than to win his first major championship in the town where he grew up and learned to play golf, and then just a couple of hours later watch England win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
“That would be a great day,” the huge Evertonian said when asked about a 'Super Sunday'. “I'd rather tee off late on Sunday for sure; I'll start with that.
Supporting England in the World Cup
Fleetwood has been following England's progress in the World Cup and praised the team's efforts. “Yeah, the lads have been doing great. It's been great to watch. The World Cup's not easy. I think they've done really well, and they continue to win, which is all you can do in those World Cup matches.
“For those guys, they definitely carry a nation on their shoulders a lot more than we do. They've been doing a great job, and it's great to have them in the semifinals again. We're a great team, so it's great to watch and great to have that positive hope.”
Star Billing and Public Attention
Fleetwood is lapping up the attention he is receiving as he has understandably been handed star billing ahead of the tournament getting underway on Thursday morning. A giant 1,000 square metre portrait of him was unveiled at Chavasse Park in Liverpool ONE last week to celebrate the start of the world’s oldest golf competition. Additionally, a huge 50-metre mural of him in Ryder Cup rapture has been painted on a wall in Southport, though scheduling has prevented the 35-year-old visiting either site.
Staying Calm Amid Expectations
Instead of letting the level of expectation and huge support affect him, Fleetwood insists he remains calm about his chances of claiming his first Claret Jug. “It's obviously very, very special,” he said. “I think for anybody that was lucky enough to grow up in the town of Southport.
“It's such a golfing town, and The Open at Birkdale holds such a special place in the area. Yeah, it's a dream just to be competing in an Open here, so I feel very, very lucky.
“Still have lots of memories from the 2017 Open here. Yeah, just excited for the opportunity to play in front of everybody.
“It's very rare to have an opportunity to play a tournament, let alone The Open, in the town where you grew up in front of fans that were all there to support you. I’m very excited.”
Drawing on Past Experiences
Fleetwood recalled his experience at Royal Birkdale in 2017, where he made the cut after a poor first round. “I think the first time I played here in 2017, I obviously had a bad first round. I think my round on Friday was one of the best rounds I ever played to make the cut, and Saturday was a great experience going out so early with Justin.
“Then you could turn and look at Royal Liverpool when I shot a great first round and was kind of in contention all the way through that week.
“I think those are experiences and memories that I'll have forever because it was such an amazing atmosphere and amazing support.
“I have all those things to draw on and I have all those things to sort of aim for, but it really is -- like I say, if I just go back to the original me being an 8-year-old kid, the thought of playing in an Open at Birkdale was unbelievably special.”
