​Tommy Fleetwood is living the dream this week back home in Southport, the seaside town where one of the greatest English golfers of his generation grew up.The exact nature of that dream remains open to interpretation, but Fleetwood has been soaking in the sunkissed links and the delightfully respectful applause with each swish of his club throughout his preparation. A record 300,000 spectators are expected at this week’s Open Championship, and many of whom will flock to his star-studded group for rounds one and two, which includes Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut it seems that his legion of fans have a slightly different dream for Fleetwood, one specifically attached to an outcome alone, with his hands holding the Claret Jug aloft on Sunday to tick off one final, meteoric box in a career packed with accolades: a major championship.“It’s obviously very, very special,” Fleetwood remarked on the opportunity to play at Royal Birkdale in The Open. “I think for anybody that was lucky enough to grow up in the town of Southport. It’s such a golfing town.”It’s a dream just to be competing in an Open here, so I feel very, very lucky. I’m just excited for the opportunity to play in front of everybody. It’s very rare to have an opportunity to play a tournament, let alone The Open, in the town where you grew up in front of fans that were all there to support you. So I’m very excited.”Despite learning the game at Formby Hall, Fleetwood was eight years old when he started to dream of playing in The Open and the hallowed turf of Royal Birkdale. So much so that he joined his Dad, sneaking onto the property “once or twice.” The access to the fifth hole provided a shot of adrenaline for as long as it lasted, like a fox carefully navigating its way up the lawn of a back garden it is not supposed to be in. Now he is the third favourite to win this week, behind only Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, with attention firmly fixed on his every step.Tommy Fleetwood during practice before the 154th Open Championship (Reuters)This Sunday, 19 July, could be Fleetwood’s time, too, with the symmetry of the World Cup final allowing many to yearn for the world No 9 to secure a maiden major merely an hour before England step onto the pitch in New Jersey.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the only major championship outside of the United States, it is unusual for McIlroy to not be the most popular player, yet the feverish desire to see Fleetwood win may take over in the next few days. A splash of blue, an indelible mark on Fleetwood’s career from his formidable time with Europe in the Ryder Cup, covers the back of Southport and Birkdale Sports Club in a mural painted by Liverpool artist Paul Curtis.Second in the 2018 US Open and again at The Open a year later at Portrush, behind an inspired Shane Lowry, mark Fleetwood’s best major championship finishes. Yet there is not a shade of yellow on his major record grid,