Tommy’s campaign continues to go on an upward curve
TOMMY FLEETWOOD started his Open Saturday much earlier than he would have liked, but the local hero put on a show to shoot a 66 for his lowest-ever Major round.
Fleetwood had fired a terrific secondround 69 in the awful conditions late on Friday to scrape in for the weekend, after his hopes were blown off course on day one following a 76.
But simply making the cut in The Open at his fourth attempt was enough to put a smile on his face.
That meant he was off in the second group alongside fellow Englishman and Olympic Champion Justin Rose.
The 26- year- old would surely have preferred to be playing in the second-tolast group, but he was a star attraction for the huge galleries.
There was an inauspicious start as both he and Rose bogeyed the first, but Fleetwood hit back to pick up shots at the second, fifth and eighth as he took advantage of the calm conditions.
He dropped a shot at the ninth but a terrific iron shot set up a two at the partthree 14th and the crowds were cheering as their man rolled in an eagle putt at the next following another brilliant approach.
Fleetwood had a helping hand from a spectator at the 17th when his errant second hit one of them on the leg and rebounded away from danger, but he couldn’t take advantage and make a birdie.
“It was actually one of the people in the crowd I’d never met before,” he quipped afterwards.
But after signing off with a par at the last, the current leader of the European Tour’s
Race to Dubai points list was pleased just to have a third round.
“It would have been pretty rubbish staying home for the weekend,” he said. “I was just glad to make it after the first round.
“This is an experience that you don’t get every week. It has been amazing playing in front of everybody and having the support.
“I have been clapped on to every tee and every green by people that I know. Having four days of that is better than two.
“I didn’t feel like I played that badly on Thursday but there were a couple of bad breaks, a couple of bad shots and all in all, six over.
“From there on in, you just have to do your best.
“It’s been fine dealing with the expectations. Last year at Royal Troon, I was hopeless. Nobody expected me to do anything and nobody was talking to me. Which one do you prefer?
“I have loved being talked about with a chance to win a Major. I’ve loved every minute of being one of the contenders.
“If you don’t like it, then you’ve been doing something wrong for the last 20 years.”
Rose had to play second fiddle to Fleetwood and settled for a one-under 69. But the man who was runner-up to Sergio Garcia at The Masters was rueful about his morning’s work.
“I played really well and I had the opportunity to score low, but I just couldn’t make any putts,” he said.
“69 has not done me any favours. The mid-or-low 60s was there today but you have to make putts. That was what was missing.
“But it was brilliant being out there with Tommy. The place was packed from the word go, four or five deep. I’ve not played in front of crowds that big since the Ryder Cup.”
While Fleetwood and Rose were the headline act, there were plenty of other Englishmen out early on the links.
Lee Westwood and Andy Sullivan-matched Rose’s 69, albeit in contrasting fortunes.
Westwood was going along nicely until his momentum was killed by a double-bogey at the short 12th whereas Sullivan had an eventful round of two birdies, three bogeys and an eagle at 17.
There was also a 69 for Kent amateur Alfie Plant, as he continued to enjoy his Open experience and thrill his own band of supporters. Whatever happens today, he is already assured of picking up the Silver Medal.
Sadly, there was little to cheer about for last year’s Masters Champion Danny-Willett. While all around him was a sea of red figures, he failed to find a single birdie and signed for a three-over 73.