Paul McGinley believes that Matt Fitzpatrick should be considered the most likely English winner of The Open Championship, as he commented on how challenging it will be for Tommy Fleetwood to step up to the occasion.
You would have to go back to 1992 for the last time an Englishman lifted the Claret Jug, with Sir Nick Faldo winning at Muirfield.
Which Brit will finish highest at The Open Championship?
Will a home favourite triumph at Royal Birkdale?
But there appears to be a good chance of that run ending this week at Royal Birkdale.
Paul McGinley assesses the chances of an English winner at The Open Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick – who was not even born when Faldo won 34 years ago – has won three times on the PGA Tour this year.
Meanwhile, Aaron Rai claimed one of the game’s biggest prizes at the PGA Championship in May. And there is no question just how popular the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose would be as winners.
Fleetwood grew up just minutes away from the iconic venue. And of course, he is still awaiting the first major win of his career. It is a victory that the 35-year-old needs.
Speaking on Sky Sports about the English contingent, McGinley suggested that while he wants to see Fleetwood win, he thinks that Fitzpatrick is well placed to pick up a second major.
“If you asked me for a choice I would say Tommy Fleetwood. I think with his charisma and what he stands for and who he is as a person, I think it would be wonderful for the game to have him as a major champion in his hometown of Southport. He would be the guy,” he said.
“Fitzpatrick would be the one you would pick to probably be the favourite with his form this year and he has good form on links golf courses, he’s an excellent iron player and that will be a key factor around here. He’s tough as nails too!
“Tyrrell Hatton, you don’t know with him. He is very flamboyant but is he going to have the patience to play around here? It’s great playing an aggressive style of golf, but a lot of this week is going to be on the back foot. You are going to be backing away from shots and flags and that’s not normally a style of play which suits Tyrrell.”
Tommy Fleetwood has to prove he can handle the expectation at Royal Birkdale
There is no question that Fleetwood has the talent to win one of the four majors. He has been such a consistent performer for the best part of a decade now.
It almost feels too perfect for the Tour Championship winner to triumph this week. Unfortunately, golf rarely delivers the most satisfying conclusions.
Rory McIlroy backed Fleetwood to handle the opportunity better than he did at Royal Portrush in 2019, when the Northern Irishman ended up missing the cut.
But McGinley conceded that it is not going to be easy when asked if the occasion could get to him.
“Of course. We all face that. When I was playing at the Irish Open, the pressure of the hometown event and the one you want so bad,” he said.
“But if you want to be a great in the game, and Tommy has the potential to be that, he has unbelievable charisma as a person. He is so identifiable.
“You come out here and people who don’t really follow golf, they will come out and there are four or five they can identify and Tommy Fleetwood is one of them, even though he hasn’t won a major.
“He has got the charisma. Now what the greats do, and we are seeing at the World Cup, they love the big stage. They rise to the occasion and they love being able to perform in the big arenas.
“So if Tommy is going to be a great in the game this is something which should excite him and move him forward, rather than go into his shell.
“He has done brilliantly in Ryder Cups, we know he has the guile to win these events, he certainly has the skill and he’s beaten the top players last year at the FedEx.
“So he has all the attributes, now it’s about to be able to mentally take in an arena and a stage like this and move into it.”
The good news for Fleetwood is that his overall record at The Open is strong. He finished second to Shane Lowry back in 2019, while he also finished inside the top five three years later.
Three of his eight top 10s in majors have come at The Open. So he definitely has the game to compete over the coming days.
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