Tommy Fleetwood has been backed to win The Open on home turf by a putting pioneer who reckons the golfer's switch to a technique he devised has transformed his game. Artist Paul Trevillion, who invented the split-hand pencil grip used by Fleetwood, told the ECHO that the 35-year-old has the complete game and can now go on to win majors.
Fleetwood's Rise and the Pencil Grip
Fleetwood's world ranking peaked at number three in November 2025. His best Open finish came in 2019 when he was runner-up at Royal Portrush, six strokes behind Shane Lowry. He is currently third favourite with bookmakers and the lowest-priced Englishman in the field for this year's event at Royal Birkdale, which begins on Thursday. Royal Birkdale is a short distance from his birthplace in Southport.
The turning point in Fleetwood's career came around early 2017 when he adopted the split-hand pencil putting grip. He then captured his second European Tour event, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and was runner-up in the WGC-Mexico Championship, one shot behind Dustin Johnson. In June 2017, he finished fourth in the US Open, moving from 99th in the world at the start of the year into the top 20. He later won the European Tour's Race to Dubai.
Trevillion's Confidence in Fleetwood
Paul Trevillion, who once illustrated the life story of legendary Everton centre-forward Dixie Dean, said: "I was watching Tommy closely from 2017 and the improvement in his putting was striking. He was taking his left hand out of the stroke and striking the ball with his master hand, and it meant that the left hand was no longer blocking the stroke. I am convinced that his change to the pencil grip changed his life in golf and has helped earn him a lot of fame and money."
Fleetwood made his major breakthrough in August 2025 by winning The Tour Championship for his first PGA Tour victory, along with the FedEx Cup and its $10 million first prize. He also tied third in the 2024 US Masters, tied fifth in the 2022 US PGA Championship, and was second in the 2018 US Open. At the 2018 US Open, he became the sixth golfer to shoot a 63 in US Open history, tying the single-round record, before finishing one stroke behind winner Brooks Koepka.
The Pencil Grip and Other Users
Trevillion added: "Tommy can go on amazing runs with his pencil grip holing putts from all over the green and putting often decides majors. It is only a matter of time before Tommy has one of his hot streaks with the putter in a major and he will leave the field standing. At 35 he is just reaching his peak."
Fleetwood will not be alone in using the pencil grip at Royal Birkdale. World number one Scottie Scheffler also uses the technique, having adopted it during the opening round of the 2024 Hero World Challenge. He has since won the 2025 US PGA title and the 2025 Open Championship.
The Origins of the Pencil Grip
Trevillion explained how he devised the method, detailed in his book The Art of Putting. He said: "Back in 1970 and for several years after that I was called 'The Putter Nutter.' Very few could see what I had discovered by noticing that I could only draw a straight line with my pencil when I held it in one hand – my master hand. I reckoned the same must apply to putting and it did, I simply couldn't miss – I never missed."
He revealed two secrets: "When at my easel, I am very aware that with pen and ink if I make a mistake I have to start all over again and that isn't much fun. It means with my drawing I have to give it 200% concentration and that is what I did when I stood over a four-foot putt. My pen and ink drawing had taught me how not to make a mistake. My other secret was that when I putted, I imagined that the hole was six feet away, and the ball would drop on the last roll, and not four feet, so I was never short with a putt, but crucially it would take out any borrow on the green."
