Fleetwood Seeks First Major Title at Royal Birkdale Open

Tommy Fleetwood will compete for his first major championship at Royal Birkdale this week. The 35-year-old grew up in nearby Southport and has spoken about the personal significance of playing the Open on the course where he learned golf. As a boy, Fleetwood and friends accessed the Royal Birkdale course without permission on one or two occasions.

He said Monday that the visits were infrequent and not a regular occurrence. Fleetwood finished tied for 27th at the 2017 Open at the same venue after opening with a 76. He made the cut with a strong second round and played alongside Justin Rose on Saturday.

Fleetwood has recorded 11 victories worldwide and ranks ninth in the Official World Golf Ranking. He secured his first PGA Tour win at last year's Tour Championship and has finished runner-up in two prior majors.

Fleetwood said the Open at Birkdale holds a special place for residents of Southport. He noted that an English player has not won the tournament since 1992. A mural of Fleetwood appears on the walls of the Southport & Birkdale Sports Club, and a painting of him is displayed on a lawn in nearby Liverpool.

He maintains memberships at two local clubs where he played as a junior. Fleetwood said the home support provides positive motivation. He described the opportunity to compete at the Open in his hometown as a dream and stated that every player wants to win the event.

"Every single person that is playing in The Open dreams of winning in The Open and wants to win it," Fleetwood said. "There's really nothing different to anybody else in that sense. " Fleetwood and his family now live primarily in Dubai but continue to visit Southport.