Fleetwood lands ball near a beer
TOMMY FLEETWOOD remains the toast of European golf after sharing the first-round lead at the British Masters – despite just missing a beer.
The Ryder Cup hero shot a five-under 67 in the afternoon rain to join fellow Englishmen Matt Wallace and Eddie Pepperell at the top of the packed leaderboard.
And Fleetwood’s only bogey came at the par-three 17th when his errant tee shot landed in the cup holder of the greenkeeper’s buggy – just next to his beer.
The world No.11 said: “I’m still not sure how I got there.
“Luckily it didn’t go in the beer because it would have ruined a drink and the golf ball.
“It was a bad shot – I could have ended up worse off if it hadn’t gone in the buggy.
“But then I would have liked someone to drive it closer! I’m going to be tired eventually.”
Pepperell also produced a freakish shot.
The first hole-in-one of his career came in remarkable fashion, his five-iron from 172 yards on the ninth seeming to hit the bottom of the flag, bouncing high in the air and away from the hole before spinning back into the cup.
Pepperell was not done there and BY NEIL McLEMAN AT WALTON HEATH a birdie on the 10th and eagle on the 11th meant he had covered a three-hole stretch in five under par before bogeys on the 13th and 15th were followed by a closing birdie.
He said: “It was a bizarre shot from where I was standing. I wasn’t sure what had happened, it kissed the hole twice.”
Wallace claimed he is driven to make his name at the next Ryder Cup after missing out on Paris.
The world No.59 said: “When I saw we won, I just decided to go to the range because that got my juices going for 2020.”
Ian Poulter is known as the Postman because he always delivers in the Ryder Cup. And Wallace said: “I love how folk can make a name for themselves in that competition and I feel like I could be able to do that.”
Stephen Gallacher is the leading Scot after a 72 left him five off the summit. Open champion Francesco Molinari shot a 73 while British Masters host Justin Rose hit a 74. 67 – M Wallace, T Fleetwood,
E Pepperell 68 – M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), D Lipsky (USA), R McEvoy, J Lagergren (Swe) 69 – S Brown, R Fisher, A Bjork (Swe), C Sordet (Fra), M Southgate, R Karlsson (Swe), A Sullivan, T Immelman (Rsa), J Wang (Kor), G Green (Mal), M Fitzpatrick 70 – P Waring, C Shinkwin,
T Lewis, P Dunne 72 – S GALLACHER
Other Scots: 73 – S JAMIESON, 74 – B NEIL, M WARREN