Tommy Fleetwood has an unimaginable alternative on his arms.
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 ultimate group collectively, which means the Englishman can have the gold medal—and the lead—properly inside his sights all day.
“I’m very, very excited to play. You have a look at the leaderboard, the leaderboard is superb,” Fleetwood stated.
“It’s like a leaderboard that you’d count on on the Olympics and possibly what the game deserves. I’m joyful to be part of it and have been doing very properly up to now. So we’ll see. I’m simply wanting ahead to [Sunday].”
Ought to Fleetwood go on to win the gold, it will mark the largest 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 finally yr’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 occurred within the Merseyside city on Jul. 29.
However Fleetwood has acquired overwhelming assist in France this week, main different gamers to ask him, “Is that this your house nation?”
“They’ve been superb with me, and it’s positively a unique crowd to what we’re used to. It’s positively an Olympic crowd, and the ambiance has been superb,” Fleetwood stated.
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“I at all times think about myself very fortunate with the assist, I assume, connections with those 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 just dream of; in the event 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 gained 4 factors throughout the 2018 Ryder Cup. And but, Fleetwood has felt something however snug this week. He has stated his swing is a multitude, which the world noticed at The Open at Royal Troon, the place he badly missed the reduce.
“Once more, my swing isn’t flowing. It’s not the place I would love it to be, however I’ve managed it so properly all week,” Fleetwood stated.
“I did the identical once more at this time, 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 individuals play properly, they may shoot good scores.”
Fleetwood managed to shoot a 2-under 69, however an important second of his spherical got here on the very finish, when he made an excellent par-save on the 18th—essentially the most difficult gap on the course.
The Englishman missed the green proper, laid up wanting the water within the fairway, after which received up and down from 69 yards to save lots of his par and preserve his sub-70 spherical intact.
“A beautiful feeling,” Fleetwood stated of his closing par.
“Clearly, making bogey on the final isn’t good. It’s a tricky gap. Nevertheless it’s an incredible feeling if 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 stunning feeling.”
However a gold medal would really feel even higher, and it’s properly inside his grasp.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Remember to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
