Few storylines in golf carry the emotional weight of a hometown hero returning to the scene of his childhood dreams. That is exactly the position Tommy Fleetwood finds himself in this week, with The Open Championship returning to Royal Birkdale, the Southport links he used to sneak onto as a boy.
According to Sky Sports Golf, Fleetwood described the week as “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,” speaking in his pre-tournament press conference at Royal Birkdale. He told ESPN he and his friends would sneak onto the course growing up in Southport, admitting, “I did it once or twice. It wasn’t like every day.” A mural of Fleetwood now looks out over the wall of the Southport & Birkdale Sports Club, with Fleetwood-inspired crochet work dotted around the town, according to Sky Sports Golf.
Yet, looking beyond the sentiment, Fleetwood’s record suggests this is far more than a feel-good story, and he arrives among the leading names in the full Open field and its biggest storylines this week.
A Major Resume That Demands Respect
Fleetwood arrives at Royal Birkdale as the world number nine, an 11-time winner worldwide and last year’s FedEx Cup champion after his breakthrough PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship, per ESPN. He has finished no worse than 14th in his last five worldwide starts, according to Sky Sports Golf, and has seven major top-five finishes in his career, including a runner-up finish at The Open in 2019. He tees off in the early wave on Thursday, part of the round one groupings and tee-time draw released earlier this week.
He was not at his best the last time The Open visited Royal Birkdale in 2017, opening with a six-over 76 before rallying to make the cut and eventually finishing tied for 27th, 13 shots behind champion Jordan Spieth, ESPN reported. He pointed to that Friday round as “one of the best rounds I ever played,” and highlighted his 2023 showing at Royal Liverpool, where he was in contention throughout after a strong opening round, as evidence of what a supportive atmosphere can do for his game.
The Weight Of English Golf’s Long Wait
No Englishman has been crowned Champion Golfer of the Year since Sir Nick Faldo’s third Claret Jug in 1992, and Fleetwood is among the leading candidates to end that run on home soil, alongside defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who must hand back the Claret Jug this week. His fellow Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, made his admiration for Fleetwood clear at his own pre-Open press conference this week, telling reporters, “I don’t know anyone who would say a bad word about Tommy. He’s such a great guy,” according to HITC.
Fitzpatrick added that Fleetwood was “always kind of ahead of his time in English golf” as the pair came through the amateur and professional ranks, and praised his Ryder Cup teammate for being “always so supportive and great to be around” in the team room. With two of England’s strongest major contenders publicly rooting for one another this week, the narrative around Royal Birkdale has taken on a distinctly patriotic flavour before a shot has even been struck in anger.
Redemption At A Course That Shaped Him
Fleetwood was quick to stress that his ambitions extend beyond simply enjoying the week. “There’s no doubt about it, winning majors is the ultimate accolade in our sport,” he told Sky Sports Golf, before adding that he refuses to let an unfulfilled major chase define his career. Still, the 35-year-old was candid about what home advantage means to him: “I just think I am the lucky one that gets to have home support and use that as really positive fuel.”
The message from Royal Birkdale this week is unmistakable: Fleetwood has the game, the form and, for the first time in his career, a major venue that feels like an extension of his own back garden. Whether that combination is finally enough to end England’s 34-year wait for an Open champion will play out over the next four days, but few players at the 154th Open arrive with as much on their side as the man from Southport.
