Tommy Fleetwood won’t stop believing as Open journey brings him back to the scene of nearest miss

Tommy Fleetwood is one of the best players in the world without a major win.

2019 runner-up Tommy Fleetwood on that final day battle with Shane Lowry at Portrush, the lessons he learned, and why he’s confident his time can come…

Tommy Fleetwood tries not to dwell too much on the past. It isn’t always easy. Being cast as a nearly man on the PGA Tour is bound to weigh heavily, but the 34-year-old prefers to find the positives where others see negatives.

Defeat at the Travelers Championship to Keegan Bradley was a case in point.

He was angry, upset even, standing on the 18th green, but was still able to find solace in a performance which hinted that his game may be peaking at just the right time.

“The most stupid thing to do and the worst thing to do would be to make a week like this a hindrance to what you do going forward,” he told reporters afterwards.

“I obviously played great, I put myself in a great position, I was leading the tournament for 71 holes. I just want to make sure that I can put myself in this position as soon as possible again and try and correct what I did this time.”

Going back to Royal Portrush, six years after playing the role of supporting actor to Shane Lowry, presents the perfect opportunity to silence the doubters – and to finish a story which has seen him contend, but never triumph, on golf’s biggest stage.

Garrett Johnston sat down with the 34-year-old to reflect on his learnings from six years ago, the mental mistakes that have dogged him so far, and what it would mean to get over the line in the one Championship he has been dreaming about since he was a kid…

How do you reflect on that week at Portrush in 2019?

It’s been a dream of mine to win The Open, ever since I was a very young kid growing up in Southport. It just wasn’t really my time that Sunday at Portrush. Shane played some really unbelievable golf and it was a great moment to be a part of. Even now, I still have some very fond memories of that Sunday, being in contention and playing in the final group.

How did you feel on Saturday night, knowing you were going to be in that final pairing?

It felt amazing, leaving the course at night, feeling the adrenaline and knowing there’s a chance you could win the next day. That was a really cool feeling. You just never know what’s going to happen in your career, if you’ll get in the final group in a major ever again. Nothing’s guaranteed in this game, so the wonder of what could happen the next day was pretty unique.

Even though you were four back, how did you view the opportunity in front of you?

I was just so excited. I had an outside chance to win The Open, so I was really looking forward to the challenge. It’s rare to get opportunities like that where there’s really no one else in front of you on the leaderboard, just the guy you’re playing with. So you have a little more control than you would if you were playing a couple of groups ahead.

When I’ve done that in the past, there are so many more variables to deal with and you need some lucky bounces. But on Sunday at Portrush, it was almost like a little bit of match play for us. So that part of it I liked.

Have you watched the final round back?

Yeah, I watched it back. I wanted to really read my body language throughout the round. I think there’s a lot you can take away from those types of observations that will serve me well in the future. I was really looking for things that I did well on the course that day, and things that I need to improve on.

What was the main takeaway?

That I have a game that can get me there on Sundays at majors. I need to trust my intuition and know that I’m capable of playing some of my best golf should I get in that situation again in majors.

How do you feel about going back?

I’m really looking forward to going back. I truly had a great time out there last time at Portrush and I think it will be the kind of place that I just need to get off to a good start and from there, who knows what can happen. But I certainly have great vibes from being there in 2019 and I’m taking positive memories with me.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about playing in majors and about managing your own expectations?

The key is to not beat yourself up about it and to learn from when you do have bad days on the course. I’ve made so many mistakes mentally in the past that have then led me to either win a tournament or have a great finish, because I learned from them. As long as you do that, and you keep trying to grow and move forward, those bad days are fine.

Where do you think there is room for improvement, going forwards?

I think if I could improve on something in majors, it would be my putting. The majors are the toughest tests for us, and as a result your putting is going to be under the microscope just a bit more.

I think once I get outside of 5 feet and into the 5- to 10-foot range, I can make big gains there. That range is very important during the week of a major because a lot of those putts are going to be for par and they will be critical to keep my momentum going.

Ultimately, I want to give myself a chance with nine holes to play and you have to then believe that anything can happen. I want to find myself in that position more often. The thing is, if I keep giving myself enough of those good chances down the stretch, eventually you’ll walk through the door at some point.

Is it a matter of just plugging away?

Yeah, I think so. I know I didn’t win a major early, but I will keep believing that my story will be that. “It took him a long time, but look at what he ended with at the end of his career.” Whether that happens
or not is a different story, but this is what I will keep telling myself at this stage in my career.

• Why a playoff at The Open will look a bit different at Royal Portrush

• What’s the Open Championship prize money? (And how much has it changed over the years?)