Connor O'Neill reports from Royal Birkdale after Tommy Fleetwood vowed to keep chasing his Open dream after a week he described as 'the most special ever'
Tommy Fleetwood celebrates at the First at the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. Photo by Colin Lane
Tommy Fleetwood celebrates at the First at the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. Photo by Colin Lane(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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Tommy Fleetwood wait to get his hands on the Claret Jug goes on - even though he delivered on his pledge to give his home crowd something to shout about. Fleetwood has been on a tear at Royal Birkdale all week and headed into today's final round five shots behind runaway leader Sam Burns.
The hometown favourite was bidding to make history by becoming the first Englishman to get his hands on the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo back in 1992. And he got his final round off to the perfect start with a birdie at the first after holing a 73-foot putt that sent the Birkdale crowd wild.
Fleetwood, wearing Tiger Woods’ clothing brand, then went par, par and par before another birdie arrived on the fifth, moving him one shot off the lead.
Bounding in confidence, the hometown hero then landed a tricky right-to-left putt on the eighth for another birdie.
As Fleetwood fist-bumped the air, those watching on dared to dream that they might just be watching history unfold in front of their own eyes.
But nobody was prepared for what happened next as Fleetwood left the thousands watching on from any angle they could find stunned.
First there was a bogey on the ninth, then another followed on the 10th before Fleetwood completed the hat-trick on the 11th.
It was a remarkable turn of events that all but ended his chances of securing his first Major, which would have been made all the sweeter given it was on home soil.
Tommy Fleetwood reacts to nearly holing his chip onto the 7th green
Tommy Fleetwood reacts to nearly holing his chip onto the 7th green(Image: (Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images))
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Although he recovered well to par the next five holes, land another birdie on the 17th and par the last, he finished seven-under with a score of 68.
“Yeah, 18 was pretty emotional," Fleetwood reflected. "Yeah, it was just very, very special.
“I've just said a couple times that like - you know, this disappointment that I didn't win today or I couldn't get it done when I was in a really good position, of course, there's only one person that gets to win it, and like my dream of winning The Open will carry on and I'll continue to chase it.
“But stuff like that, walking down 18 and the atmosphere out there, that was beyond stuff that I've dreamt of.
“That was just stuff that I never imagined. The crowds were amazing, and they made it the most special week ever for me, and I can't thank them enough.”
Tommy Fleetwood during his third round at Royal Birkdale
Tommy Fleetwood during his third round at Royal Birkdale(Image: ( Stuart Kerr/R&A/R&A via Getty Images))
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He then added: “I think the 1st hole today, the 7th hole when I nearly chipped in, in front of that grandstand there, and holing the putt on 8, those are like really, really cool moments.
“The crowd were amazing. The atmosphere was unbelievable, and we got ourselves right where we wanted to be. Of course then, like, the finish there.
"That was just the perfect way to start, to hole a long one there, and that just gave us the perfect start to kick on from there.”
Fleetwood also admitted that after going eight-under he started to believe that his fairytale was going to come true.
Crowds at Royal Birkdale watch Tommy Fleetwood(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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He said: “Yeah, of course it was on. It was 8-under and stood in the middle of the 9th fairway, so I was in a great position really, and I was playing really well.
"I was playing well. Just 9, I hit it in the place that you can't hit it. It was gusty on that fairway. Over the back there, it was just a terrible mistake.
“People are going to make bogeys. Of course they are; it's tough. Every afternoon it's been the toughest conditions.
“Then 11, hitting it in the fairway bunker, you've got - the spirit of this golf course is you've got to take stuff on, but that just costs you shots. So it was that little stretch in the middle. I felt really good. Yeah, we had a great chance today. I just couldn't quite do it.”
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