Tommy Fleetwood stated that the support from the home crowd at Royal Birkdale has "100%" aided his push into contention at The Open Championship. The Southport-born golfer shot a three-under 67 in the second round to reach four-under par, placing him in a tie for eighth. He is part of a group of British players on the leaderboard, including Scotland's Robert MacIntyre and English pair Matt Wallace and Alex Fitzpatrick.
This group is trailing Australian leader Lucas Herbert, who equaled a tournament record with a 62 on Friday. Bryson DeChambeau is also in contention, despite incurring a two-shot penalty for inadvertently improving his lie.
Fleetwood has been a focal point of attention, receiving enthusiastic receptions from the spectators throughout the first two days of the tournament. After an opening round of 69, he secured his position with a strong finish on Friday, including three birdies in the final five holes.
"They've been an absolute pleasure to play in front of for these two days. I love that I played some good golf there and something to cheer about," Fleetwood said. "They make a big difference to me. They helped me so much [on Thursday] when I was struggling. You can't ask for any more than what they're giving me."
Fleetwood, a European Ryder Cup player and a PGA Tour winner, grew up playing golf at nearby Formby Hall and has maintained a connection with the local community. He acknowledged the pressure but framed it as positive motivation, stating, "My own expectations are huge, and my own dreams started here. All that stuff's massive, but it's only good stuff."