Sport news and discussion on TalkFuse.
How Birkdale crowd helped carry Fleetwood into contention
Tommy Fleetwood credits the support of the home crowd at Royal Birkdale with helping propel him into contention at The Open, as several British golfers pushed up the leaderboard after the second round. The Southport-raised Englishman carded a three-under 67 on Friday to sit on four under, level with Scotland's Robert MacIntyre and joined by fellow Britons Matt Wallace and Alex Fitzpatrick, alongside Jon Rahm and world number one Scottie Scheffler, as Fleetwood chases a first major title in front of a fiercely supportive local gallery.
The group sits four shots behind Australian leader Lucas Herbert, who equalled the course record with a 62 in round two, while Bryson DeChambeau remains in contention despite a two-shot penalty for inadvertently improving his lie. Fleetwood, who grew up nearby and once climbed the Birkdale fence as a boy to play the course, followed an opening 69 with a late flurry of three birdies in his final five holes on Friday. MacIntyre, who has three top-10 Open finishes in six appearances, backed up his opening 67 with a 69, describing his round as strong despite a mid-round lapse he had to "reset".
In short
- Fleetwood four shots off the lead at halfway, boosted by home crowd
- MacIntyre, Wallace, Fitzpatrick, Rahm and Scheffler also in contention
- Australia's Lucas Herbert leads after a record-equalling 62
Explained simply
The Open Championship is the oldest of golf's four major tournaments. It is held annually at different courses around Britain and Ireland, and winning it represents one of the highest achievements in professional golf. The championship attracts the world's best golfers competing for significant prestige and prize money.
Tommy Fleetwood is an English professional golfer from Southport in Lancashire who grew up playing on local golf courses. He has enjoyed considerable success in his professional career but has never yet won a major championship. Playing at Royal Birkdale near his home town gives this tournament special significance for him.
Royal Birkdale is one of England's most respected golf courses and a regular venue for major championships. In competing there, Fleetwood has the distinctive advantage of playing in front of a home crowd, which other competitors in the field do not share. The tournament continues with the championship still to be decided in the coming rounds.