Tommy Fleetwood with the most on-brand (?!) response to drama ahead of The Open
England's Tommy Fleetwood had the most on-brand response ever to the LIV Golf/PGA Tour drama ahead of the 151st Open Championship.
England's Tommy Fleetwood says the first thing he did when he heard the PGA Tour had announced an agreement with the PIF was head to the range.
It was on 6 June that PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan turned the world of men's professional golf on its head.
By this point you're likely familiar with the tale. Monahan sat beside LIV Golf supremo Yasir Al-Rumayyan and essentially announced peace. For now.
Their TV appearance was minutes after we saw the headline:
Was this real life?
Fleetwood, like many of the top talent on the PGA Tour, was at Oakdale Golf & Country Club preparaing for the Canadian Open.
A players' only meeting was called with Monahan and, so the story goes, he was told to resign. Even Rory McIlroy was told to 'F off'.
The temperature has cooled since then because the only one truth we have at this moment in time is nobody really knows anything.
Better to wait and see how things unfold, some have argued.
| Jon Rahm says he still trusts and backs PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan despite unrest over the LIV Golf/PIF deal. pic.twitter.com/cd2RIntp5O
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) July 18, 2023
Some players are still less than pleased with Monahan. Multiple PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan has hinted that if the players have their way then Monahan's days are numbered.
Perhaps Jon Rahm is the highest-profile player who still backs the under fire boss.
And then you have Tommy Fleetwood. He told The Times about the immediate aftermath of the stunning announcement from his perspective:
Related: Fleetwood on 22-year age gap with wife Clare
Whatever Fleetwood was working on at the range paid immediate dividends as he went on to contend but was beaten over extra holes by Nick Taylor.
Fleetwood was in position once again to claim his maiden win on the PGA Tour last week at the Scottish Open but struggled to get anything going in the final round as McIlroy came up trumps with a big finish to claim his first victory in the country.
The Englishman, 32, has been grouped alongside Scottie Scheffler and Adam Scott for the first 36 holes of the 151st Open Championship.
He finished T-4 at the 150th Open at St. Andrews.
More GolfMagic articles from the 2023 Open Championship
- The coolest thing about The Open, according to Rory
- Why Tiger Woods isn't playing The Open
- WATCH: Jordan Spieth channels inner child before 151st Open
- Henrik Stenson comes out swinging (!) in defence of LIV Golf ahead of The Open
- Cameron Smith fires warning to Rory McIlroy (and co) ahead of Open title defence
- Cameron Smith makes case for LIV Golf's Greg Norman ahead of The Open
- Rory McIlroy snubs media duties for second (!) major in a row
- Oliver Wilson on fighting back, LIV Golf fears and holding back tears
- Brooks Koepka fires back at Rory McIlroy question ahead of The Open: "Ask him"
- Paige Spiranac reminds us all one very important thing before The Open
- Report: Players at The Open briefed about what to do if Just Stop Oil show
- Jon Rahm backs Monahan but fires LIV warning: "Punishment should be in
- Matthew Fitzpatrick on unlikely Open scenario?! "It would be my worst nightmare"
Watched our latest YouTube video?
Ben joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
