SOUTHPORT, England – Tommy Fleetwood’s presence at Royal Birkdale this week is well publicized, unlike his earlier trips to the Open Championship venue. Banners hanging around Southport bear the likeness of the hometown kid who also happens to be one of the pre-tournament favorites. Fleetwood grew up around the corner from the course, close enough that his father, Pete, could walk the family dog past the famed links. Tommy would sneak onto the course as a young boy and hit a few shots, undoubtedly dreaming of hoisting the Claret Jug in front of a legion of loved ones. “If you live five minutes away, you’re going to try to get on when you can,â€� he said. “We were very clever about it.â€� There’s no need for Tommy to be surreptitious this week. He’s been one of the best golfers in the world in 2017, rising to a career-high 14th in the world ranking. He beat FedExCup leader Dustin Johnson in Abu Dhabi in January, then finished second to Johnson at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. After finishing fourth at the U.S. Open, where he played with winner Brooks Koepka in Sunday’s second-to-last group, Tommy won again just three weeks ago at the French Open. Fleetwood has played well enough this year to earn Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the 2016-17 season. He’s also earned enough non-member FedExCup points to be eligible for full membership next season. “I’d much rather be in this position where people might be talking about me as a contender than turning up and … being a no-show,â€� Tommy, 26, said. “I’ve thought about winning The Open since I was 5 years old, so I think thinking about it another few days isn’t going to make any difference to me.â€� A victory this week could stand alongside the hometown wins of Augusta native Larry Mize in the 1987 Masters and Francis Ouimet’s victory in the 1913 U.S. Open. Fleetwood may not be as large of an underdog as Mize or, especially, Ouimet, who was a caddie at the tournament venue, The Country Club of Brookline, but few players have won a major so close to home. Pete Fleetwood’s walking route took him past Royal Birkdale’s 18th green, down the 17th fairway to the back of the 16th green. Tommy said the fifth hole was the best spot to sneak on, though fences and bushes — perhaps inspired by a young Tommy’s clandestine visits — now keep intruders off the course. Tommy attended his first Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1998. His memories are few, though he does recall being impressed by the aura of Tiger Woods as the young star, who finished third that week, strode past him. The Open returned to Birkdale 10 years later, but Tommy was too heartbroken to even watch. He’d lost the final match of the British Amateur a few weeks earlier, missing out on his first opportunity to play The Open at Birkdale. “That one hit me hard,â€� he said. He became the No. 1 amateur in the world a year later. In 2011, at age 20, he became the youngest player to win the money list on the Challenge Tour (Europe’s version of the Web.com Tour). Two years later, he won his first European Tour title and he was No. 51 in the world by the end of 2014. But his game started to slip, and by last September he was down to 188th in the world ranking. A return to his childhood coach, Ian Thompson, and the help of longtime friend Ian Finnis, who left his job as an assistant pro at Formby Golf Club to become Fleetwood’s caddie, have helped Tommy’s career reach unprecedented levels. He will play the first two rounds this week with Koepka and U.S. Open runner-up Hideki Matsuyama. Being reminded of what happened last month at Erin Hills can only help his confidence. Fleetwood admits he didn’t have his best stuff on Sunday – his final-round 72 left him five shots behind Koepka, who shot 67 — but he was proud of the way he handled the nerves that come in a major championship. “I felt if the time comes again when I’m contending in a major, I know that I can do it,â€� Tommy said. “I felt fine. And I felt comfortable. Of course you’re nervous but I wasn’t out of control. I wasn’t fearful.â€� He’ll have plenty of eyes on him again this week. He now lives an hour away from Birkdale but said his parents’ home could come in handy if he has an early tee time one day. The local fans will hope that isn’t the case this weekend, preferring instead to see him play with the leaders late in the afternoon, but he also knows that, no matter the result, this will be a unique week. “The banners will be off in a couple weeks, so best not getting used to it too much,â€� Fleetwood said. Unless, of course, he wins the Claret Jug. Then his face, and photos of those flowing locks, undoubtedly will remain plastered all over town.
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