Olympics: Tommy Fleetwood has nice likelihood to shake demons, win gold

Tommy Fleetwood has an unimaginable alternative on his fingers.

He’ll start the ultimate spherical of the Olympics one shot off the tempo at 13-under, taking part in alongside Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, who share the 54-hole lead. Fleetwood, Rahm, and Schauffele will go off within the remaining group collectively, which means the Englishman can have the gold medal—and the lead—nicely inside his sights all day.

“I’m very, very excited to play. You have a look at the leaderboard, the leaderboard is wonderful,” Fleetwood mentioned.

“It’s like a leaderboard that you’d count on on the Olympics and possibly what the game deserves. I’m pleased to be part of it and have been doing very nicely up to now. So we’ll see. I’m simply wanting ahead to [Sunday].”

Ought to Fleetwood go on to win the gold, it could mark the most important win of his profession. He has come agonizingly shut in majors, recording seven top-5 finishes since 2018. He additionally has 5 runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour, most notably eventually 12 months’s RBC Canadian Open, the place he witnessed Nick Taylor’s thrilling 72-foot make first-hand.

So a gold medal would undoubtedly shake off these demons and convey Fleetwood—and his hometown of Southport, England—great pleasure, particularly contemplating the tragedy that befell within the Merseyside city on Jul. 29.

However Fleetwood has obtained overwhelming assist in France this week, main different gamers to ask him, “Is that this your house nation?”

“They’ve been wonderful with me, and it’s positively a special crowd to what we’re used to. It’s positively an Olympic crowd, and the ambiance has been wonderful,” Fleetwood mentioned.

Photograph by Emmanuel Dunand/AFP through Getty Photos

“I at all times take into account myself very fortunate with the assist, I suppose, connections with folks that I make. However these have been nice, and completely, to be taking part in the Olympics, to be in rivalry, and to have the assist that you’ve got, I imply, they’re issues that you simply dream of; in case you don’t take pleasure in this, then what’s the purpose?”

The crowds serenaded Fleetwood on seemingly each tee field and each inexperienced, leaving the Englishman feeling fairly snug at Le Golf Nationwide, the course the place he received 4 factors through the 2018 Ryder Cup. And but, Fleetwood has felt something however snug this week. He has mentioned his swing is a large number, which the world noticed at The Open at Royal Troon, the place he badly missed the lower.

“Once more, my swing isn’t flowing. It’s not the place I would really like it to be, however I’ve managed it so nicely all week,” Fleetwood mentioned.

“I did the identical once more in the present day, actually. I didn’t actually hit it in any horrible spots. I made one bogey, which is a good effort round right here. I do know there are nice scores, and clearly, when folks play nicely, they are going to shoot good scores.”

Fleetwood managed to shoot a 2-under 69, however crucial second of his spherical got here on the very finish, when he made an excellent par-save on the 18th—probably the most difficult gap on the course.

The Englishman missed the golf green proper, laid up wanting the water within the fairway, after which obtained up and down from 69 yards to avoid wasting his par and maintain his sub-70 spherical intact.

“A beautiful feeling,” Fleetwood mentioned of his closing par.

“Clearly, making bogey on the final isn’t good. It’s a tricky gap. However it’s an incredible feeling while you scrape a par like that. It retains me type of simply behind the leaders. As shut as I can tomorrow, the higher, actually. Yeah, it’s a beautiful feeling.”

However a gold medal would really feel even higher, and it’s nicely inside his grasp.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Make sure to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.