Tommy Fleetwood is still harboring dreams of major glory at The Open Championship, with the passionate crowd at Royal Birkdale providing a fervent backdrop to his challenge. The Southport-born golfer is in contention heading into the final day, buoyed by a groundswell of local support that has followed him throughout the tournament.
Chants of "Come on, Tommy lad" have echoed around the course, a term of endearment embraced by the spectators. This vocal backing has been present whether Fleetwood was stepping onto the tee, leaving it, navigating the fairways, or addressing his ball on the green. The enthusiasm from the gallery has been palpable, with marshals occasionally struggling to maintain quiet.
Fleetwood concluded the third round with a score of 69, placing him five shots behind the new leader, Sam Burns, who is one of three players to have shot the course record this week. Despite a challenging finish that saw him bogey two of the last four holes, Fleetwood remains optimistic about his chances for his first major title on his home turf.
"I've done it most days since I was seven years old and it still hasn't stopped," Fleetwood said after signing his scorecard. "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."
At one point during his third round, Fleetwood was in a strong position, reaching seven-under par and standing just one shot off the lead held by Ryan Fox, another player who achieved the course record. This surge was built on a near-flawless front nine, including a birdie on the 11th hole where his approach shot landed three feet from the pin.
However, past near-misses at major championships linger. Fleetwood's history includes a one-stroke loss at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, a second-place finish at Portrush, and multiple top-five finishes between 2022 and 2024. Despite recent missed cuts and a lack of top-10s in the last 10 majors, his victory at the Tour Championship last year demonstrated his ability to close out a tournament.
"Today was as close as you're going to get," Fleetwood commented regarding his position. "I was within one of the lead at The Open playing the back nine. It's been pretty close already, and then you've just got the ultimate at the end of it, which would be holding the Claret Jug."
Looking at the leaderboard, Fleetwood sees familiar names like Bryson DeChambeau and Ludvig Aberg ahead of him, as well as Lucas Herbert, who was the first to set the course record. However, Fleetwood feels he is firmly in the mix.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, that's stuff that I'll have for life," Fleetwood reflected. "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."
