Local hero Tommy Fleetwood urges Open fans to adhere to new code of conduct

In the Claret Jug event at Royal Liverpool three years ago, American Brian Harman was booed by home fans over the weekend as he was chased by a pack that included Fleetwood, a Merseyside man.

In fairness, that sort of behaviour hadn’t really been witnessed in the game’s oldest major before but, coupled with US fans overstepping the mark in last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black then Wyndham Clark being targeted for abuse from outside the ropes in last month’s US Open, The R&A has stepped up to the plate in preparation for the final men’s major of the season in Southport.

As a record 300,000 fans prepare to attend the event, the St Andrews-based organisation has introduced a new code of conduct that aims to ensure that players, spectators, volunteers, officials, staff and the local community can enjoy a “welcoming, inclusive and memorable experience”.

What has been termed at The Open Commitment asks fans to ‘respect the players, the links and each other’. Serious or repeated breaches of the terms could result in spectators being removed from the course.

Fleetwood, who is teeing up in a hometown major this week along with Matthew Baldwin, was asked by The Scotsman about the importance of spectators adhering to the new guidelines as he was the first player to pay a visit to the Media Centre on Monday afternoon.

“It's hard to want 200,000 people (the total attendance this week is actually set to be a record 300,000) to watch and create an amazing atmosphere and want them all to do exactly what you would expect or want them to do,” said the FedEx Cup champion.

“Yeah, like you want the fans to behave in the best way possible and to give everybody the equal opportunity, but it is very difficult wanting all that to go together. Yeah, it's a tough one, and you just want the best for everybody really.

“I've always felt like atmospheres have been great. I've had support on my side 99 percent of the time, but I've also had it against me the odd time. Honestly, sometimes those have been my most enjoyable atmospheres when the crowd are that little bit against you and gives you that little bit extra.

“I think The Opens that I've experienced in the north west, the crowds have been amongst the best I've ever seen and the atmospheres have been great. I'm sure everybody will be great this week.”

Jordan Spieth, the winner here when the event was last held at this venue in 2017, said recently that he believed some of the bad behaviour from fans was down to more and more people betting on golf and someone actually being able to influence an outcome by doing something untoward out on the course.

“Yeah, it's a good point. It's a fair point,” observed of that being put to him. “I don't think it's ever really been my experience. I think you're aware probably of people that are betting and you might get somebody telling you a putt breaks right to left instead of left to right, but you should be able to figure that out on your own.

“As I said, it's really difficult to ask everyone to behave in a manner that you would want them to behave while wanting the atmosphere to be as big as possible and as good as possible. I think that's always tricky.

“Betting isn't going to go away, and I think you don't want the crowds to be any smaller, or it's hard to change people in terms of how they want to be when you go to a golf tournament. I just think that's a really difficult one.”

Like Baldwin, Fleetwood is “Southport through and through” even though he is based in Dubai these days. He admitted it was “rare to have an opportunity to play a tournament, let alone The Open in the town where you grew up” and is “very excited” about that prospect again, having finished in the top 30 nine years ago.

For this latest edition here, the par-4 fifth hole has been redone on the footprint of the old hole while the 15th is brand-new par 3, replacing the old 14th, where Spieth rolled in a crucial birdie putt in the final route as he came out on top in a duel with compatriot Matt Kuchar over the closing stretch.

“I think the fifth is a much better hole,” observed Fleetwood, who is chasing a major breakthrough after recording no less than eight top-ten finishes in the game’s marquee events. “I think it's wind dependent.” he added in reply to how he felt it might play. “It's a really good risk and reward short par-4. As for the 15th, that's going to be one of the tougher holes of the week.I think the way that the course runs is good, and I think it's a great addition to the finish of the golf course.”

The final spot in this week’s 156-man field was secured by Fleetwood’s compatriot Joe Dean as he carded a two-under-par 68 to come out on top in a new Last Chance Qualifier featuring 12 players. “Yeah, it was great,” said Dean, a 32-year-old from Sheffield of an event that certainly seemed to get a thumbs up from the fans at the start of the week. “Any opportunity to get into The Open again (he played at Royal Troon two years ago), I’ll gladly turn up and play.”