Tommy Fleetwood opened the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale with a one-under-par 69, describing the round as a “battle”. The Southport native, now a local hero, recalled sneaking onto the course as a child by hopping a fence along the back of the 5th fairway. “I did it once or twice,” Fleetwood said with a blush. “It wasn’t like every day.”
From Sneaking In to Favourite
Fleetwood learned golf at Southport Municipal, three miles from Birkdale, and later gained membership at Formby Hall. “Royal Birkdale was always kind of hallowed turf for people that lived in Southport, and I definitely didn’t get to play here as much as I would like to,” he said. His father worked in construction and his mother was a hairdresser. He first attended The Open in 1998, chasing autographs, and the best he got was from Colin Montgomerie. That day inspired him to turn professional.
Twenty-eight years later, Fleetwood is among the favourites. His opening round featured two bogeys and three birdies. “It wasn’t that easy out there. There’s not really loads of birdie opportunities. One under is a good start to the week,” he said. This is a significant improvement from his six-over first round at Birkdale in 2017.
Local Support and Popularity
Fleetwood is renowned as one of the nicest guys in golf, with strong support in the north-west. He attended Scarisbrick Hall school and set up a kids’ academy at Formby Hall, his home club, run by the coach who taught him at age six. The academy costs £75 for six weeks’ tuition, aimed at children from families who cannot afford Birkdale’s fees.
During Thursday’s round, locals gathered near the 5th tee—where he used to sneak in—to watch him through chain-link fences. “Go on Tommy lad!” they shouted. “Honestly, the support today was a massive lift for me, especially like around that turn where I scrambled really well,” Fleetwood said. “I felt like the crowd really helped me. They definitely sort of carried me a little bit through.”
Playing Partners and Spieth’s Struggles
Fleetwood played alongside Jon Rahm, also one under, and Jordan Spieth, who is well behind. Spieth won the 2017 Open at Birkdale but returns far from his fourth major title. He noted that holes crucial to his 2017 victory have been redesigned, including the 14th where he scored a hole-in-one—a tee shot no longer possible.
