Tommy Fleetwood is determined to enjoy the experience of playing The Open at his home course, Royal Birkdale, despite the weight of expectation from his local supporters. The 35-year-old Southport native is widely regarded as the most accomplished active golfer yet to win a Major, holding eleven worldwide victories and a world ranking of ninth.
Home Favourite with Local Support
Fleetwood's image adorns a giant mural at Southport and Birkdale Sports Club, measuring 164 feet by 65 feet, and a lawn painting in Liverpool city centre. He embraces the support, stating, “It's an absolute dream to play here in my hometown in front of people that are all here to support me. There are only positives really. I am the lucky one that gets to have home support and use that as really, really positive fuel.”
Major Aspirations
Fleetwood's best Open finish was runner-up to Shane Lowry at Royal Portrush in 2019, and his best recent Major result was a tie for third at the 2024 Masters. He will play the first two rounds with 2017 Open winner Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm, who has won both the Masters and US Open. Fleetwood remarked, “I think winning majors is kind of like the ultimate accolades in our sport. It's a difficult one. I don't think I want to sort of look towards the future and worry about or think that I have to win a major to feel fulfilled.”
Enjoying the Moment
Despite the pressure, Fleetwood insists he will savour the occasion. He said, “At the end of the day, as much as it means to me - and I would never play down how big it feels to play an Open at Birkdale and how amazing it would be to win an Open - but it is still a game of golf and people would dream of being in the situation I'm in. It's still important to remember that and enjoy it.”
