Tommy Fleetwood opened his home Open at Royal Birkdale with a one-under-par 69, calling the demanding first round a “battle.” The Southport golfer said the local support gave him a significant lift as he scrambled through a testing stretch around the turn.
Fleetwood’s return to Birkdale carries a personal weight that extends far beyond the leaderboard. As a child, he sometimes reached the course by walking along the beach and hopping the fence behind the fifth fairway.
A Better Start at Familiar Ground
The opening 69 included three birdies and two bogeys, leaving Fleetwood one under par after 18 holes. It marked a sharp improvement on his six-over opening round when The Open was last held at Birkdale, a start that quickly damaged his chances.
| Player | Opening Score | Birkdale Context |
|---|---|---|
| Tommy Fleetwood | 69, one under par | Southport native playing in front of home support |
| Jon Rahm | One under par | Played in Fleetwood’s group |
| Jordan Spieth | Behind Fleetwood and Rahm | Won The Open at Birkdale in 2017 |
“It wasn’t that easy out there. There’s not really loads of birdie opportunities,” Fleetwood said of the round. “One under is a good start to the week.”
He played alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, forming a group that drew a large gallery. Rahm also finished one under, while Spieth was further back after the opening day.
From Local Spectator to Contender
Fleetwood learned the game at Southport Municipal, about three miles from Royal Birkdale, before joining Formby Hall when his talent developed. His father worked in construction and his mother was a hairdresser, while Birkdale remained an exclusive and “hallowed” place for many people in Southport.
Most of his early memories of the course came as a spectator rather than a player. He attended the 1998 Open to seek autographs, when Mark O’Meara won, and said Colin Montgomerie gave him his best signature.
That visit helped convince Fleetwood that he wanted to become a professional golfer. He has since established a children’s academy at Formby Hall, his home club, with the same coach who taught him when he was six.
The academy costs £75 for six weeks of tuition and is aimed at children whose families cannot afford the much higher cost of playing at Birkdale. www.theguardian.com reported that Fleetwood hopes it can provide an opportunity for youngsters from backgrounds similar to his own.
A Crowd That Knows Every Corner
The fifth hole has been shortened by 25 yards for this championship, but the gap near the tee where Fleetwood once entered the course remains visible. Temporary metal fencing has been installed during The Open, although local spectators still gathered beneath nearby trees to watch through the chain links.
As Fleetwood struck his tee shot over the trees, calls of “Go on Tommy lad!” came from the local crowd. “Honestly, the support today was a massive lift for me,” he said.
Fleetwood said the crowd helped carry him through difficult moments, particularly around the turn. A major victory at Royal Birkdale would therefore be more than another title for the popular golfer; it would complete a journey from local fan to champion at the course that once felt out of reach.