If you could win majors by making friends - Tommy Fleetwood would win every one.
But Fleetwood isn’t just a dab hand at socialising, he is also a talented golfer.
The Southport pro missed the cut on his Masters debut in 2017 and tied 17th in last year’s tournament.
Following his 2018 appearance at Augusta, Fleetwood went on to finish second in the US Open and made history at the Ryder Cup with partner Francesco Molinari.
But as he heads to the Masters for his third appearance, Fleetwood is more determined than ever to win the coveted green jacket.
He said: “I’m never going to look back on my career and say, ‘Oh, I finished third at the Players, that was a good week’, or, ‘Oh, I finished top five at the Masters, I made a couple of nice pars on the last two to finish top five’.
“Winning is what it’s all about. I want to win the big tournaments – not from a financial standpoint or anything. It would just be nice to have on my resumé.”
Currently, Fleetwood is placed at 28/1 to win the tournament, and if he did, it would be his first major to date.
How to watch the US Masters Golf 2019
His form
Fleetwood has come close to winning this year but has never quite sealed the deal.
He had a frustrating start to 2019, as the two-time defending champion returned to Abu Dhabi hoping to secure a third win.
But Fleetwood only just made the cut after putting for a birdie on the 18th hole in the second-round.
He followed this with a third-round 72 and 70 in the fourth, finishing 42nd overall.
However, Fleetwood’s recent results have been promising.
Last month he tied fifth at The Players Championship and tied third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
His odds
Rory McIlroy has been well backed by a lot of the bookmakers as the favourite to win the Masters at 7/1.
Fleetwood trails at 28/1 with Brooks Koepka and Paul Casey just pipping him with shorter odds.
Worth a bet?
There’s no doubt that Fleetwood is in contention to win The Masters and at 28/1 you wouldn’t do too badly if he proved victorious.
However, if you’re wanting to back Fleetwood, a safer bet would be a top-10 finish.
Southport golfer Tommy Fleetwood steps in to save British Masters
What’s Fleetwood said?
His newly adopted ‘in it to win it’ attitude could prove beneficial on a challenging course such as Augusta - where it’s necessary to take risks.
Speaking at the course on Monday, Fleetwood made no apologies for his bogey on the 17th hole at The Players.
He said: “I was two behind with two to play, and you know, there was only one way I was ever going to get close, and it was to go for it,”
“It didn't come off, but I didn't really think anything of it. And you know, people's reaction was great, really.
“I don't know why people would expect me to play for the middle of the green if I had a chance of catching Rory.”
