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Tommy Fleetwood, Top English Favorite, Targets Birkdale Major

7/14/2026

50 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Tommy Fleetwood (world No. 9) will compete in the Open at Royal Birkdale on July 13 2026.
The 35-year-old, an 11-time winner and 2025 FedEx Cup champion, is a 16-1 third-favorite, the top English odds.
He has seven major top-five finishes, including runner-up at the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Open, but has not won a major.
He says the home crowd’s “positive fuel” motivates his attempt at the Open.

History

Historical Context

Royal Birkdale first hosted the Open in 1954 and has staged ten championships, most recently in 2017. In 1991 Australian Ian Baker-Finch won the event, earning a £90,000 share. The club’s 2026 Open gives England’s top-ranked golfer a chance to end a 35-year English-winner drought for a major title at Birkdale.

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Story summary

Tommy Fleetwood (world No. 9) will compete in the Open at Royal Birkdale on July 13 2026.
The 35-year-old, an 11-time winner and 2025 FedEx Cup champion, is a 16-1 third-favorite, the top English odds.
He has seven major top-five finishes, including runner-up at the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Open, but has not won a major.
He says the home crowd’s “positive fuel” motivates his attempt at the Open.

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