Local boy looking to make good at the British Open, why Birkdale is anybody’s to win, and not counting out Rory

SOUTHPORT, England — Tommy Fleetwood doesn’t need to sneak onto Royal Birkdale anymore. The 26-year-old, who grew up a couple of miles from the site of this year’s Open Championship, returns with his face on posters and lampposts around town, and a banner hanging in front of his former school after a half-dozen victories around the globe, including two this year, and having risen to No. 14 in the world.
“It’s better than nothing,” he said when asked if all the attention and pressure that goes with being the hometown favorite is a distraction. “I’d much rather be in this position where people might be talking about me as a contender rather than turning up and sort of being a no-show.
But could they be talking too much? Could the accompanying pressure of all the attention from locals have a negative impact? Fleetwood thinks not.
“I’ve thought about winning The Open since I was 5 years old, so thinking about it for a few days isn’t going to make any difference to me.”
While Fleetwood hone..

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