Tommy Fleetwood has imagined home Open win ‘a million times’
By Matt Coles
We’ve all imagined winning a major championship on home soil, but that could come to fruition this week for Tommy Fleetwood
Could this be the Tommy Fleetwood Open? He’s dreamed of winning it at Royal Liverpool “a million times”.
He went toe-to-toe with Shane Lowry on the final day as the Irishman claimed an emotional Claret Jug in front of an adoring home crowd at Royal Portrush.
Now, four years on, Fleetwood can’t stop thinking about using familiar surroundings to fuel his own major charge.
“Winning a major is a dream and winning the Open is a huge, huge dream,” he said. “No matter where that is, that is something I have always visualised and thought about.
“Having the opportunity to do it so close to where you grew up is something very unique and very special. I have pictured it a lot, visualised a lot, but haven’t done it yet in person, so that is the next thing!”
Fleetwood’s the local hero, but is trying to keep the pressure off.
“When it is an event so close to home, it comes with its own mental challenges, with your own expectations and everybody else’s,” he explained.
“It would be silly and daft to try and find negative elements to do with that. It is an amazing feeling playing in front of so much support. I think it is very special and if you’re here, it would be really silly to not go out with the aim to enjoy it and embrace it.
“No matter what happens, it is going to be a week to remember.
“Of course I have the ultimate goal of trying to win The Open, and I would like to play well. I’ll be disappointed and I’ll be upset if I don’t, but you also have to realise that there’s certain things about the week that are very special, and focus on them, as well.”
This week’s Open will also be the first since the death of his mother, with the first anniversary falling on Friday.
“My dad is great, he has done really, really well so that has been nice to see,” he added.
“It will be different. It will be a year on Friday, so we know that is coming up. It’s nice to think that she is watching over.
“It will be a special event. I would love to play well and I would love to give myself a chance come Saturday and Sunday and have something to aim for in that sense.
“Everybody has done really well. I have a great family and a lot of support and my dad is out here today. The best thing is seeing how well he is doing and hopefully I can give him something to enjoy watching this week!”
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Will Fleetwood take that maiden major this week? And will he be in the Ryder Cup team? Let us know your thoughts with a Tweet!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
