Tommy Fleetwood Faces Caddie Blunder at Open Championship

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Tommy Fleetwood encountered a significant setback during the first round of the Open Championship on Thursday at Royal Portrush. A rare caddie blunder, coupled with a recent policy change, put him in a difficult position as he navigated his way through the course.

Fleetwood, one of the favorites for the tournament, began his round with three consecutive pars before bogeying the par-4 4th hole. His troubles deepened when he found himself in a pot bunker about 20 yards short of the green on the par-4 5th. On-course reporter Jim “Bones” Mackay revealed the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Fleetwood’s bunker shot.

“I’m not sure I have ever seen this before at a professional golf event,” Mackay noted. “Whoever played from this bunker previously forgot to rake it, and now Tommy has an awful lie.” Fleetwood was visibly frustrated when he arrived at the ball, uttering, “For f***’s sake, man,” a moment captured by the broadcast.

Traditionally, the R&A assigned a designated “bunker raker” to each group at the Open Championship, making it easier for players. However, a new policy requires caddies to rake their own bunkers, a change that might have contributed to Fleetwood’s predicament, as the footprints from the previous player were still visible.

“It’s a change for us but we think a good one,” said Mark Darbon, the new R&A chief. “A number of factors led to this decision.”

As Fleetwood attempted his second shot, he managed to navigate the difficult lie but clipped the lip of the bunker, leading to a challenging chip that left him with a 33-foot putt for par. Ultimately, he missed, finishing the hole with a bogey and a score of two-over 73 for the day.

“It wasn’t a great rake job,” Fleetwood remarked after his round. “I probably could have managed it better, but it is part of the game to rake the bunkers.” He acknowledged the mistake wasn’t intentional and reflected on the unfortunate circumstances.

Paul McGinley, commenting on the incident, said, “I don’t know what the rule is for the R&A, but that caddie would have faced consequences on the DP World Tour.”

Despite the challenging start, Fleetwood remains focused on the days ahead. “You never know what’s going to happen,” he said, keeping his spirits high in the wake of the blunder.