Olympics: Tommy Fleetwood overcomes discomfort, improbably leads

Tommy Fleetwood scored one of many lowest within the second spherical on the 2024 Olympics. A member of Crew Nice Britain shot three strokes higher than his spherical 1 4-under 67.

Friday noticed him hearth off a 7-under 64 with one eagle, six birdies and one bogey.

That rating moved him 11 spots up the leaderboard, giving him a share of the lead with Crew USA’s Xander Schauffele and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.

Whereas Fleetwood went low, he defined the uncertainty surrounding his swing.

“I haven’t felt notably comfy with my swing all week,” Fleetwood stated Friday after his spherical.

“I’ve been doing the issues that I do know are proper. I’ve put the ball in play lots. I’ve been doing the correct issues. Steadily, as you retain hitting sufficient good pictures, your confidence builds, and you retain drawing on these emotions.”

Picture by Andrew Redington/Getty Photos

Fleetwood’s final begin was the Open, the place he went 76-75 and missed the minimize at Royal Troon. That early exit within the 12 months’s last main exhibits how uncomfortable he’s along with his sport.

Earlier than that, he completed T16 on the U.S. Open, T26 on the PGA Championship and T3 on the Masters.

“It’s nearer, and I hit some stunning iron pictures. I had a good suggestion of what I used to be doing with the golf ball all through the day,” he stated. “Particularly right this moment, I believe once I needed to get up-and-down, or I needed to make a par save, I did it, and when you’ve gotten rounds wish to right this moment, clearly 7-under is a very good one, you must make these as properly.”

The Englishman is aware of Le Golf Nationwide moderately properly as a result of he was part of the 2018 European Ryder Cup group that defeated the Individuals. Fleetwood was an enormous motive for that victory, as he and his associate Francesco Molinari gained all 4 matches they performed collectively.

He additionally gained the French Open at this identical observe in 2017. No matter that have, the 33-year-old nonetheless has to execute.

“I’ve performed it sufficient to know how the golf course performs,” he stated. “I really feel comfy with the selections I make off the tee. In order that’s one factor. You continue to should step up and hit the golf pictures. I’ve executed that good to date and I’ll try to simply maintain doing that.”

Fleetwood will not be taking part in for an enormous test this week however an Olympic medal, which comes with completely different challenges.

“I haven’t been in rivalry for some time,” Fleetwood stated. “I take pleasure in that by itself, in addition to it being the Olympics. You have a look at the environment this week, we continually get requested the query, the place does the Olympics sit in golf. the way it’s going this week, it continues to develop. It brings nerves and pleasure,t and it’s very particular.”

The Southport, England native is taking part in in his second Olympics after collaborating in 2021. He is aware of what these video games imply and the way extremely cool it could be to be an Olympic medalist.

Fleetwood is within the last group for Spherical 3 of the boys’s golf match. He’ll tee off with Matsuyama and Schauffele at 6:39 a.m. ET. The Ryder Cup veteran is seeking to end within the high three and acquire some momentum forward of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. For extra golf protection, comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. It’s also possible to comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.