The 149th Open: Tommy Fleetwood aiming to go one better at Royal St George's this week
Tommy Fleetwood finished second behind Shane Lowry in The 148th Open at Royal Portrush in 2019; Englishman now hoping to win first major at Royal St George's; watch The 149th Open from Sandwich exclusively live on Sky Sports The Open
Last Updated: 12/07/21 2:30pm
Tommy Fleetwood hopes his performance in The 148th Open at Royal Portrush will stand him good stead as he goes in search of a first major success in this week's Open at Royal St George's.
The 30-year-old Englishman played alongside Shane Lowry in the final group two years ago in Northern Ireland and claimed his second runners-up finish in a major after ending up six shots behind the Irishman.
However, Fleetwood, who also finished second in the 2018 US Open, knows it could have been a different story if he had taken full advantage of a shaky start by his playing partner after he started the day four off the lead.
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After Lowry holed from eight feet for bogey on the first, Fleetwood missed from slightly closer for a birdie and a two-shot swing which would have halved his overnight deficit.
A bogey on the third by Fleetwood and then two Lowry birdies quickly left the Englishman with too much to do and he went on to card a three-over 74, with Lowry signing for a 72.
"The first thing Padraig Harrington said to me when I walked off was that you have to learn to lose them before you can win them," Fleetwood said. "It didn't feel particularly great at the time but it makes complete sense.
"I was stood there on the first tee on Sunday and I played that whole day in the final group. You can't buy that, you can't practise that, and when you do get there again you are that little bit more comfortable and you have got that knowledge of what it was like.
"I would like to be there all the time and if you put yourself in those positions often enough, law of averages says you should knock at least one off.
"Portrush might be the closest I ever get. It would be disappointing in one sense, but at the same time I would look back at it as one of the fondest moments of my career.
"If I broke my leg tomorrow and never hit another golf shot, I would look back at it and think I was playing on Sunday and that was my dream when I was a kid and I was really, really close.
"It hurt at the time but I would love to do it again. If I fail, I fail, but if I keep doing it I'll succeed at some point."
Fleetwood was 10th in the world when he ended 2019 by winning the Nedbank Challenge and finishing second in the DP World Tour Championship the following week, but has not won since and has slipped outside the top 30.
But he believes he is close to recapturing his best form as he seeks the "Holy Grail" of working hard but remaining relaxed and letting results happen naturally.
"The truth is I'm disappointed being 33rd in the world or whatever I am and haven't won for a while, haven't really been in contention for a while," Fleetwood added.
"But as blips are concerned it's not been that bad. I am not lost by any means, it's just that it has not been the results that we look for. You do have to remember we are disappointed at where we are and it's amazing to get there.
"You do have to keep that perspective but that's probably the hardest part. You come away and think about what you have done wrong or you are annoyed that you did not get out of it what you could.
"And it's probably what makes everybody better, you do not accept what you have got. The more you can relax but work hard, but let it happen, generally that's when the good stuff comes. That's the Holy Grail that one."
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