ESPN: Tommy Fleetwood Chases First Major Title on His Childhood Course at Royal Birkdale

A Hometown Dream at Royal Birkdale

Tommy Fleetwood, 35, arrives at The Open Championship this week with a uniquely personal motivation: winning his first major title on the course where he grew up sneaking rounds as a kid in Southport, England.

Overwhelming Local Support

Murals of Fleetwood adorn the walls of the Southport & Birkdale Sports Club and a nearby Liverpool shopping center. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to follow him throughout the week. Fleetwood described the hometown support as "really, really positive fuel."

Major Pedigree and the Missing Piece

This marks Fleetwood's 45th major start. He holds runner-up finishes at the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Open Championship, and claimed his first PGA Tour victory at last year's Tour Championship. Currently ranked 9th in the world with 11 worldwide wins, he is undeniably one of the game's elite players.

No English-born golfer has won The Open since Nick Faldo's third Claret Jug in 1992 — a 34-year drought that Fleetwood has the talent, the record, and now the venue to end.

Strokeslab's Take

Fleetwood's consistent major performances are backed by strong approach metrics (SG: APP), and the emotional edge of competing in his hometown could be the catalyst that converts runner-up finishes into a first major title.