TOMMY EYES HOME RUN
Local hero Fleetwood is the player they’re all talking about and that suits him just fine…
TOMMY Fleetwood could not help but smile when he drove down Lord Street in Southport and saw the fuss his home town are making as he prepares to play in the 146th open at Royal Birkdale.
‘I’ve never had a banner with me on it before and my face seems to be on an awful lot of lampposts,’ he said. ‘It’s nice, isn’t it? my old school did a huge banner with “Good luck” on it and I thought that was really touching. It’s been lovely coming back.’
It certainly makes for a startling contrast to the last time The open was held in these parts in 2008, when Fleetwood missed out on an exempt spot after losing in the Amateur Championship final.
‘I was a match away from making it and it was really upsetting,’ he recalled. ‘I was in a sulk and I’d go out and practise and try not to watch it. That one hit me hard, so it’s good I made this one.’
It’s not just in Southport, of course, where sports fans have enjoyed getting to know the personable 26-year-old, who remains utterly unaffected by the fact he’s made £3million in six months and is the runaway leader of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
The only time he gets carried away is when talking about his football team, predicting Everton will win the league next season.
Ask him about how the recognition levels have changed as he goes about his daily life with fiance Clare, who is expecting their first child in September, and it draws a typically wry, self- effacing response.
Fleetwood (right), who now lives about an hour away in the Cheshire countryside, replied: ‘ I don’t think it’s changed much, although I did get recognised in Altrincham market the other day. other than that, nothing too spectacular. There’s nobody fainting in the street as I walk past.’ There’s certainly been plenty of swooning on the golf course after a run of form that has seen him finish fourth, sixth, first and 10th in his last four outings, following a sensational start to the season where he won in Abu Dhabi and finished runnerup in a WGC event in mexico. Welsh veteran Bradley Dredge, who played with him in the final round of his French open triumph, was moved to say it was as good a display of ball-striking as he had ever seen. Justin Rose spoke in similar tones after playing with Fleetwood in Ireland a fortnight ago. ‘I couldn’t tell you the last time I played with him before that but the improvement is obvious,’ said Rose. ‘He’s got a great swing, great temperament and his good shots are seriously impressive.’
With it all, of course, comes a formidable sense of expectation now he’s ranked 14th in the world — he was 100th last December — and The open is about to be played around the corner from where he grew up.
Fleetwood, however, dismisses the idea it is a burden, saying: ‘you could look at it that way but that’s putting the wrong spin on it. I’d far rather be in this position where people might be talking about me as a contender than being a no- hoper. I’ve thought about winning The open since I was five years old, so thinking about it a bit more over the next few days won’t make any difference.
‘I’ll have the most support I’ve ever had in my life, from people I’ve grown up with, friends, family, fans, you name it.
‘We know golf, it’s a funny game where you can turn up one day
and feel terrible, but if it happens this week it won’t be because of any burden of expectation. It doesn’t affect me at all apart from the fact it makes me smile because I find it very flattering.
‘Obviously, it is going to be a different experience but it’s a massive privilege to play in The Open so close to home.’
It will begin on Thursday morning with a US Open reunion alongside the winner Brooks Koepka, with whom he played in the final round, and Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, who finished runner-up.
‘It shouldn’t matter who you play with but it’s always nice to be drawn with some of the best players in the world,’ said Fleetwood, who contended for the first time at a major before finishing fourth at Erin Hills last month.
‘It’s obviously a TV draw and it’s nice to be part of it. Playing with the winner of the US Open on that Sunday was a great experience. I’ve known Brooks for a while and it was a pleasure to watch him play so well.
‘The good thing for me was how I felt inside. I was comfortable, I enjoyed it and that will help me going forward.’
Given his form since, it’s clear he is already seeing the benefits. On Thursday morning, after his dad has walked the dog by the side of the 18th green, beyond the 17th fairway into the distant dunes, the Fleetwoods will gather around the first tee for a reception that will surely bring a tear to his parents’ eyes.
The boy who used to sneak on the course with his father for a few holes while the members were not looking is now very much the focus of everyone’s attention.