Tommy Fleetwood's dream of winning the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale fell short as he finished tied for fourth, three shots behind the winner. The Southport native, who had been within two shots of the lead after eight holes, faltered with three consecutive bogeys from the 9th to the 11th, ultimately ending at seven under par.
Early Promise Fades
Starting the final round five shots off the lead, Fleetwood birdied the 1st hole with a 73-foot putt, cutting the deficit to four. He then drove the green at the 5th and chipped in for a tap-in birdie, and another birdie at the 8th brought him to within two shots. However, at the 9th, his approach shot skittered off the green, leading to his first bogey. He dropped further shots at the 10th and 11th, ending his challenge.
Fleetwood identified the par-5 14th as a turning point: he was greenside with a chip for birdie but the ball burned the hole and passed 3ft by, leaving him without a gain. Despite a birdie at 17 and an approach that narrowly missed holing out on 18, he finished at seven under, tied for fourth.
Home Crowd Support
The atmosphere, especially on the 18th hole, was a highlight for Fleetwood. 'The atmosphere walking down 18, that was beyond anything I ever dreamed,' he said. 'As a kid, when you’re dreaming of having putts to win the Open, that’s one thing, but I could never imagine something like that ovation on 18. That was incredibly special.'
Fleetwood had spoken about imagining this Sunday since he was seven years old. 'I’ve done it most days since I was seven years old, and it still hasn’t stopped,' he said. 'That’s what life’s about, right? You dream about the biggest things possible and then you try and make it a reality.' He added that the crowd, many of whom are friends and acquaintances from his hometown, made the experience unique. 'I still try to stay in my bubble. It just happens that there’s like thousands of people in my bubble with me that are willing me on.'
Disappointment and Reflection
Despite the disappointment, Fleetwood remained philosophical. 'There’s disappointment that I didn’t win when I was in a good position, but the atmosphere walking down 18, that was beyond anything I ever dreamed,' he said. 'My dream might come true, it might not, but you’ll never find out if yours will unless you chase it.'
