THE 154TH OPEN

July 19, 2026

Tommy Fleetwood

Mixed Zone

Q. Tommy, first of all, that looked like an emotional walk down 18. How do you sum up the day in general?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, 18 was pretty emotional. Yeah, it was just very, very special. I've just said a couple times that like -- you know, this disappointment that I didn't win today or I couldn't get it done when I was in a really good position, of course there's only one person that gets to win it, and like my dream of winning The Open will carry on and I'll continue to chase it.

But stuff like that, walking down 18 and the atmosphere out there, that was beyond stuff that I've dreamt of. That was just stuff that I never imagined. The crowds were amazing, and they made it the most special week ever for me, and I can't thank them enough.

Q. It was a great way to finish and a great way to start as well. What were you feeling when that ball dropped on the 1st hole?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: That was a bonus, wasn't it? Yeah, that was a cool moment. Like stuff like that, I think the 1st hole today, the 7th hole when I nearly chipped in, in front of that grandstand there, and holing the putt on 8, those are like really, really cool moments.

The crowd were amazing. The atmosphere was unbelievable, and we got ourselves right where we wanted to be. Of course then, like, the finish there.

That was just the perfect way to start, to hole a long one there, and that just gave us the perfect start to kick on from there.

Q. When you got it to 8-under, did you think it was on? You must have been aware of where you were.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, of course it was on. It was 8-under and stood in the middle of the 9th fairway, so I was in a great position really, and I was playing really well. I was playing well. Just 9, I hit it in the place that you can't hit it. It was gusty on that fairway. Over the back there, it was just a terrible mistake.

People are going to make bogeys. Of course they are; it's tough. Every afternoon it's been the toughest conditions.

Then 11, hitting it in the fairway bunker, you've got -- the spirit of this golf course is you've got to take stuff on, but that just costs you shots. So it was that little stretch in the middle.

I felt really good. Yeah, we had a great chance today. I just couldn't quite do it.

Q. A lot of young people here to cheer you on as well. How important is that to you? You do a lot for junior golf.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Of course, yeah. Southport is a very, very special place to me. It's where I was born. It's where I grew up. It's an amazing town.

I really think that the town this week has just -- they've done us all proud. Everybody from Southport in the area have been incredible. Honestly, anybody that I spoke to has given one of the best Opens ever. Everybody talks about it.

And the crowd here and the atmosphere and the golf course, and watching -- yeah, I am a part of trying to grow the game and try and help kids, try and get them into golf and try and let them start their dreams, and hopefully they'll be here one day.

Seeing that many of them out today is really, really special, and I just try and -- I just try and be the best example possible for them. They help me as much as I help them.

Q. Talking about the atmosphere, were there tears? Were there smiles?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Both really. I don't get that emotional, but yeah, that was like -- that was heavy stuff, like they were incredible. Like I just alluded to, when you -- as a kid when you're dreaming of having a putt to win The Open or playing The Open or winning The Open, that's one thing, but I could never imagine that scene on 18, getting the ovation and the support that I have this week. That's incredibly special. I do know how incredibly lucky I am to have experienced that.

I'm so grateful for everyone because that's like stuff that my kids are watching that, and I think it's so cool that they get to experience that. Yeah, I can't ask for any more from everybody. That was amazing.

Q. You still had to hole that putt for birdie; did you --

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I was fine at that point. I just wanted to stand up and hit a good putt. Like 14 was -- 14 I felt like was a bit of a nail in the coffin -- because I still felt like I had a chance and I could have a good finish. 15 is a really tough hole, so that's always going to be a difficult one to make birdie on. 14, I'm there. I'm greenside with a great chance. I felt like that was -- that hurt a lot.

But then I felt like, if I can just win the last three holes, make a birdie on the last three, like that will be a great finish. I happened to make two. But 18 was just -- from the moment I'd hit my second shot, all of that stuff was just bonus stuff for me. It was great that I holed the putt. If I holed it or I missed it, it was a great finish, but it was fine either way. The experience was more important to me.

Q. Jordan Spieth quite enjoyed playing with you and said a few nice words about you after his round yesterday. That was very nice.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it was because it's a unique atmosphere to play in. For the guys that were playing with me, like I had Jon for three rounds, but Jordan was like really complimentary of everybody here, and so was Jon. The I saw Jon's comments. I think that was great.

Like I said, the town have done themselves so proud. I'm so proud of where I'm from. I truly believe like The Opens in the northwest are on a certain level.

Yeah, Jordan was lovely about it. He said how much he enjoyed it. That was nice to hear.

Q. You mentioned northwest, and in two years' time it's going to be at Lytham. How excited are you to see Lytham back on the rota?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I am unbelievably lucky. Lytham, what is it, 40 minutes from -- seven miles really, but we can never get to it. 40 minutes, 45 minutes from where I grew up. Royal Liverpool is so close, and then we have Southport.

I mean, it's like how lucky am I to have three Open venues on the rota where really it's so close to home for me. Like really people don't play events that close, let alone hometown and then Lytham and Royal Liverpool.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to that. It's a nice one to look into the future. In reality, you don't know if you're ever going to play an Open again. You never know what's going to happen, but hopefully I've got quite a few more left in me.

Yeah, we have a really good run. St Andrews next year, it doesn't get any -- that really is on a pedestal, and then coming back to the northwest and Lytham will be great.

Q. When was the last time you played it?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I actually went and played Lytham to give my two boys -- they had a practice round for the Lytham Trophy. That might have been last year, like last spring or something. Other than that, I haven't played it much.

We'll see. Maybe over the next couple of summers and stuff.

Q. Last time you would have played it would have been in your amateur days?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I played the Lytham Trophy, and it beat me up most of the time. So I'm looking forward to that.