Tommy Fleetwood Overcomes Discomfort to Share Olympic Lead with Outstanding 64

Tommy Fleetwood, representing Team Great Britain, delivered an impressive performance in the second round of the 2024 Olympics despite battling discomfort with his swing. Fleetwood shot a remarkable 7-under 64 on Friday, one of the lowest scores of the round, which included one eagle, six birdies, and a single bogey. This stellar round moved him 11 spots up the leaderboard, placing him in a share of the lead alongside Team USA’s Xander Schauffele and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.

Despite his success, Fleetwood acknowledged his unease with his swing. “I haven’t felt particularly comfortable with my swing all week,” he admitted after his round. “I’ve been doing the things that I know are right. I’ve put the ball in play a lot. I’ve been doing the right things. Gradually, as you keep hitting enough good shots, your confidence builds, and you keep drawing on those feelings.”

Fleetwood’s recent performance at the Open highlighted his struggle, where he missed the cut after rounds of 76 and 75 at Royal Troon. This followed a year of mixed results in major championships, including a T16 finish at the U.S. Open, T26 at the PGA Championship, and T3 at the Masters.

Reflecting on his Olympic performance, Fleetwood noted, “It’s closer, and I hit some beautiful iron shots. I had a good idea of what I was doing with the golf ball throughout the day. Especially today, I think when I had to get up-and-down, or I had to make a par save, I did it, and when you have rounds like today, obviously 7-under is a really good one, you have to make those as well.”

Fleetwood’s familiarity with Le Golf National, the venue for the Olympic golf competition, has been an asset. He was part of the victorious European Ryder Cup team in 2018, and he won the French Open at the same course in 2017. However, he emphasized the importance of execution. “I’ve played it enough to understand how the golf course plays,” he said. “I feel comfortable with the decisions I make off the tee. So that’s one thing. You still have to step up and hit the golf shots. I’ve done that good so far and I’ll try and just keep doing that.”

As Fleetwood continues to navigate his discomfort and build on his confidence, his outstanding performance in the second round has set a promising stage for the remainder of the Olympic golf competition.