FLEETWOOD SO AT HOME AFTER LEARNING TO DEAL WITH FANFARE
GOLF
TOMMY FLEETWOOD insists he is ready to star at the British Masters after a tough time handling home expectations.
The Ryder Cup star is a hero in his home town of Southport, where he is hosting this week’s European Tour event at Hillside.
The last time he was under similar scrutiny was in 2017 when the Open was next door at Royal Birkdale.
Fleetwood (right) admits he found it hard to cope with the big galleries and passionate backing from fans desperate for him to excel on his doorstep.
He carded a disastrous opening 76 and was lucky to make the cut before finishing tied 27th on one-over.
But nearly two years on, the world No.16 says he has more experience and mental strength. Fleetwood, a member of Hillside as a junior, admitted: “I feel way more nervous than a normal event. But it’s not necessarily nerves that send you off track. It’s actually effort because you try so hard. Definitely for myself, trying so hard sometimes, and that’s where I can go wrong a little bit.
“It’s a different atmosphere when you play in front of so many people who are behind you and you want to do well for them. It’s not just about you then. You want to put on a great performance for your town and the people that come to watch you.
“It’s different pressures but I’ve learned from it and I’ve grown since then.
“The 2017 Open was my first season where I was starting to contend in Majors. So many things have happened since then that I’m way more used to it”