SOUTHPORT – Tommy Fleetwood has been dreaming about winning a British Open since he was a wee lad in Southport who could only sneak onto Royal Birkdale late in the evening. He's not about to stop dreaming now.
Even with a pair of bogeys on the final four holes, Fleetwood did enough Saturday — a 1-under 69, his third round under par this week — and was five shots behind Sam Burns.
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He also had a record crowd at Royal Birkdale behind him.
“There’s no pressure on me at all really, except for my own expectations,” Fleetwood said. "And of course, it’s a really beautiful thing that the town is so hopeful for me and they want me to do well. I can’t ask for any more from thousands and thousands of people out there.
“They've made a massive difference to me,” he said. “Yesterday evening, the first tee every day, today when I was in contention, that stuff that I’ll have for life. How many people in the golfing world get to experience that with the crowd that much on your side? It’s been a very special week for me no matter what. If I can get it tomorrow, I could make it even more special. We’ll see.”
The support is unlike anything he's ever heard, and for good reason. This is Southport's favorite son, and one of golf's most beloved figures because of his grace handling more tough losses than wins. Everybody seems to love Tommy Lad.
“Oh, Tommy, Tommy! Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy Fleet-wood,” thousands sang to him in a football melody at practically every turn, particularly after birdies.
He heard warm applause on every tee. He heard shouts — “Go on, Tommy Lad!” — down most every fairway. The birdie he made Friday on the par-3 15th with the massive, three-story observation suite was deafening. The roar from around the 11th green Saturday told him his shot was no more than 2 feet away.
“You can hear it constantly, no matter where he goes. It’s constant, unconditional support,” said Jon Rahm, who played alongside Fleetwood on Saturday. "I can’t imagine what it’s like to play ... his favorite event of the year at home because I get a small pinch of what it feels like when I play in the Spanish Open.
“And if it was a major in Spain, I can only imagine.”
Fleetwood made his move midway through the front nine with two birdies in three holes. His shot into the 11th to 2 feet brought him to within one of the lead.
But the momentum changed when he missed the green down the steep slope to the right, hit a beautiful pitch and missed the 6-foot par. He found a pot bunker on the 18th and had to lay up, and eventually scramble, just to salvage bogey.
But strange things happen in majors, especially this one on links golf. Royal Birkdale already has made history by giving up three record-tying rounds of 62, though they were in the morning before the wind picked up and the greens got a little more crusty.
Fleetwood is eager to find out how it all unfolds. Can he imagine what it would be like to walk onto the 18th green to collect the silver claret jug?
“I've done it most days since I was 7 years old, and it still hasn’t stopped,” Fleetwood said. "That’s what life’s about, right? You daydream and you dream about the biggest things possible and then you try and make it a reality.
“Life is all about experiences,” he said. “And I think I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life so far this week.”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf