THE 154TH OPEN

July 18, 2026

Tommy Fleetwood

Mixed Zone

Q. Obviously disappointing to drop a shot in the end. How do you reflect on where you are?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it was a bit of a disappointing finish. I felt like I played really, really well today, and it kind of just flipped like the opposite where I've had strong finishes the first two days. Just didn't materialize today. The course isn't easy. It's not like there's any gimme birdies out there.

It was a good day. I shot under par. It's easy to think that you should be two or three -- I think you think that no matter what you've done on any given day anyway. We'll see where the leaders finish up, but it was a really enjoyable day again.

Q. Do you still think it's in sight?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, we'll have to see. The way it finishes today it's not really going to be in my hands, that's for sure, but I can still go out and shoot a great round tomorrow and see what happens. So we'll see.

I think what am I, 5-under? Lead is, I reckon, 10 maybe, 9 or 10? So we'll see. There's great rounds out there around this golf course, which is good to know. I think it's incredible how the conditions change morning to afternoon. You sit there in the morning and you're watching these scores, and it's just not possible in the afternoon.

But like I say, we'll see. Just looking forward to going out tomorrow. If I can get off to a good start, it'll be a really cool atmosphere again.

Q. Does it add to your pressure or help with the pressure to have the backing you do out there?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: There's no pressure on me at all really, except for my own expectations, and of course it's a really beautiful thing that the town is so hopeful for me and they want me to do well. I can't ask for any more from thousands and thousands of people out there.

No, I don't feel pressure. I felt nerves this week and excitement and adrenaline, but that's my own expectations. The crowd have been incredible. They've made a massive difference to me.

I just said over there, whatever happens tomorrow -- like yesterday evening, the first tee every day, today when I was in contention, that's stuff that I'll have for life. To be honest, how many people in the golfing world get to experience that with the crowd that much on your side. It's been a very special week for me no matter what. If I can get it tomorrow, I could make it even more special. We'll see.

Q. Do you think being just short of the leaders rather than being in one of the final pairings could help you be a bit more free mentally tomorrow and play a bit better?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: You know, potentially. I mean, if you just look at things logically, I would rather be on a better score, of course. But at the same time, you don't know. If I can build some momentum, if I can get the crowd going a little bit and those roars echo around the golf course, you never know.

But I don't think -- at the moment, I'm not really worried about that stuff, but I'll start to look at that tonight. But yeah, I think wherever I happen to play tomorrow, it's just about going out and shooting as best a round as possible.

Q. Have you allowed yourself all week to daydream or think about what might be if you are right near the top on Sunday here and what this place might be like?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I've done it most days since I was seven years old, and it still hasn't stopped. Yeah, that's what life's about, right? You daydream and you dream about the biggest things possible and then you try and make it a reality.

To be honest, I've been pretty close to it this week. Today was as close as you're going to get. I was within one of the lead at The Open playing on the back nine. It's been pretty close already, and then you've just got the ultimate at the end of it, which would be holding the Claret Jug.

Life is all about experiences, and I think I've had some of the best experiences of my life so far this week.

Q. You mentioned at some point earlier this week that one of the battles is not wanting it too much. Has that faded as the week has gone on? Has it crept in at all?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No, I've been pretty good. I've enjoyed it.

The other element to it is my game for the most part this week hasn't been in a place where I've been able to really sort of feel like I can do it, in a way. I've been battling my swing, and then last night I got it flowing a little bit, and today I played great throughout the first however many holes. I didn't hit that many bad shots. I hit two bad iron shots coming in.

That's sort of taken my mind away from things. It's just been a bit of a grind and trying to hit the next shot and try and put it in play and hit the best shot I can.

I think you have all of those feelings and you want it so badly, it's fine wanting it that badly, but it's like using the skills that you have, whether they be mental or physical when you're out on the course because that's what's going to get it done for you, not wanting it.

Q. How much do you hear and acknowledge the crowd as you go around, and what are you doing to embrace that or focus on what you're doing?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I mean, yeah, of course. Like walking up to every green, it's like the most amazing ovation that you can imagine. Then I sort of acknowledge them in my way because I still want to stay in my bubble in a way, but it just happens that there's like thousands of people in my bubble with me that are willing me on.

Again, I just try and be myself. Like there's a lot of people I know out there. But I just try and be myself and I try and focus as much as I can on my game and have everybody on the journey with me, really, and I feel like -- it's one of those things; I feel like I've always been very lucky with the connection I make with people without putting in -- it's like not cheesy, I feel, or it's like effort; that's not me. I just try and be myself, and I've always been very lucky with the connection I make with people, so it's been great.

Q. You've been in contention over the years going into the final day. How do you manage going into the final day personally, and has that changed since the start of your career?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah. I think it would -- I would have loved to have won a couple majors and then I would have proved to myself already that I can do it or know what it takes. I look forward to them. I think especially, as well, I have a lot of experience of not being in contention at majors, so I would much rather be in contention than not, so I think I'm always well aware of, well, when you're in contention it's exactly where you wanted to be at the start of the week, and now go and play and enjoy it, and hopefully your game is good enough throughout the next few days to get it done.

Yeah, I look forward to the opportunities. I really, really do, because they don't come around every day.

Q. Is it too tough to set a target score tomorrow?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I don't really do that. I'm useless at that anyway. I never get it right. So I think I'm better off just going out and trying to shoot the best score I can.

As well, I think the golf course, I just don't think you can get aggressive with, especially in the afternoons. I think in the mornings it's a different story. But the afternoons it's just impossible to sort of get aggressive with it. It's just about getting the best score you can and playing every hole individually.