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The Open: Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood's all-round game can help him end Major drought at Royal Troon
The English great has been comfortable around the top of the leaderboard at the Majors this year and is our pick to lift the Claret Jug come Sunday
ubai resident Tommy Fleetwood is our prediction to win The Open 2024 at Royal Troon.- Supplied photo
It looks like a typically ‘open’ Open this week at Royal Troon.
Firstly, let’s consider the key factors before we make our predictions:
Who is the form player?
Who has had a good 2024?
Who is a links specialist?
What does the golf course demand?
Who is strong and energized?
Who is burnt out?
Predictions on who will do well or even win from a 156-player field are never easy.
The obvious favourites are Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, last week’s winner of the Genesis Scottish Open - Robert MacIntyre and Xander Schauffele.
However, we predict that Dubai resident, Tommy Fleetwood is the one to watch.
Tommy, 33 years old, finished tied 3rd at The Masters and 16th at the US Open earlier this year. So, he has been comfortable around the top of the leaderboard at the Majors this year.
Accuracy off the tee will be important this week – that is one of Tommy’s strengths. Early scouting reports suggest that the rough is unusually lush following a lot of rain falling in that part of Scotland.
On the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Standings, he lies in 25th, 12th on the Official World Golf Ranking and 6th on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.
In the PGA Tour stats, he lies in ninth place in Total Driving and again ninth in Scrambling.
This week, as always, The Open champion will need a good all-round game – especially off the tee and around the green.
Fleetwood played well last week at the Genesis Scottish Open to finish in 34th with rounds of 65, 69, 66 and 71. He amassed 20 birdies during the week – a sign of good golf.
He commented last week: "I am scoring much worse than I am playing. I am playing great – but I need to sort that out. I need to keep working and not affect everything else."
Flletwood looks fresh and ready for a big week at the right time of the year.
He won the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Golf Resort earlier in the year on the DP World Tour – so he has confidence of a recent victory under his belt.
Having grown up in the North West of England – links golf has always come naturally to him.
However, one of the most impactful factors at The Open – one of the few tournaments with a one-tee start is getting on the right side or the wrong side of the draw.
Links golf in Scotland is notorious for being either fair or unfair. That is completely out of the control of every player teeing it up this week.
This will be his 10th appearance at The Open – with three top 10 finishes in his last four editions.
A Major is perhaps all that is missing from Tommy’s golfing CV.
Going through the categories of how to win The Open this week at Royal Troon – Tommy seems to have as good a chance as anyone!
We wish him well!
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