Tiger Woods praises Tommy Fleetwood as the Englishman pushes for The Open lead at Royal Birkdale links

Tiger Woods publicly praised Tommy Fleetwood: Sun Day Red attracted attention at The Open

Tiger Woods spoke out during the second round of the 154th edition of The Open Championship and, with a brief message, directed additional attention toward Tommy Fleetwood, one of the leading home favorites at Royal Birkdale. On July 17, Woods shared a photograph on the X platform of the English golfer wearing clothing from his Sun Day Red brand and wrote: “Looking good out there.” The post quickly spread among golf fans because it connected two compelling stories from the tournament: Fleetwood’s pursuit of his first major championship title and Woods’ attempt to transfer his recognizable identity into an independent sports and lifestyle brand. Although the message was very brief, it arrived on a global stage and at a moment when Fleetwood was playing one of the more important rounds of his season.

Fleetwood competed on Friday, July 17, wearing Sun Day Red clothing, combining a sporty appearance adapted to the changing conditions on the links course. Woods’ reaction did not contain an announcement of cooperation or details about a possible contract, so the post itself does not establish that this was a formal sponsorship partnership. Fleetwood’s official website lists Blackstone, BMW, TaylorMade and TAG Heuer among his current partners, while Sun Day Red is not listed there. Nevertheless, public praise from the brand’s founder carries considerable promotional weight, especially during The Open, one of the four biggest tournaments in men’s golf. For Woods’ brand, it was a rare opportunity to appear simultaneously in the television broadcast, on the course and in conversations on social media.

Fleetwood remained in contention near the top after a 67

The attention surrounding Fleetwood was not limited to his clothing. After an opening 69, one under par, he shot 67 in the second round and, with an overall score of four under par, remained in the group of players immediately behind the leaders. According to The Open’s official leaderboard after 36 holes, he was tied for eighth place, four strokes behind Australian Lucas Herbert. Herbert took the lead at eight under par after an outstanding round of 62, while Cameron Young, Jackson Suber and Ryan Gerard were at six under par. Fleetwood therefore entered the weekend alongside a series of major names, including Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, making his performance in front of the home crowd even more significant.

The official scorecard shows that Fleetwood recorded five birdies and two bogeys in the second round. The closing part of the round was particularly important, as he managed to convert several opportunities and avoid major mistakes that can quickly erase an earlier advantage at Royal Birkdale. In its report, the PGA Tour highlighted his putt from approximately 21 feet, which prompted a powerful reaction from the spectators around the course. Such moments not only lifted the atmosphere but also allowed him to remain close enough to the lead before the final 36 holes. In tournament golf, particularly on links courses where the wind and the firmness of the ground can change from hour to hour, a four-stroke deficit still leaves a realistic opportunity to attack.

Fleetwood’s score of 67 was three under par on the par-70 course. According to the available scorecard, he made birdies on the second, fourth, 14th, 16th and 17th holes, while dropping shots on the eighth and 12th. That distribution of scores showed that he maintained his patience after mistakes and completed the round without another loss on the demanding final hole. His overall score of 136 after two rounds placed him in a position from which he could not be ruled out as a potential winner. At the same time, the tightly packed leaderboard meant that even a minor decline in the third round could result in a major loss of positions.

A special tournament only a few kilometers from where he grew up

Fleetwood’s appearance at Royal Birkdale carries a strong personal context. He was born in Southport, the town in northwestern England where the famous links is located, and as a boy he viewed the course as an almost inaccessible place where the greatest players in the world competed. In conversations before the tournament, he recalled occasionally coming near the course with his father and dreaming of one day playing The Open in front of people from the community in which he grew up. The Associated Press reported his description of Royal Birkdale as “sacred ground” from the perspective of a boy who was only beginning to develop his relationship with golf. Now, at the age of 35 and with many years of experience in the biggest competitions, he found himself at the same venue as one of the crowd favorites.

The support from spectators was noticeable from the first round. After his opening 69, Fleetwood spoke about the emotional energy he receives from the crowd, but also about the need to transform that energy into concentration rather than additional pressure. Royal Birkdale previously hosted The Open in 2017, when Fleetwood followed a poor opening score of 76 with a 69 and made the cut, but was not seriously involved in the battle for the title. Nine years later, he arrived as a considerably more experienced player, a FedEx Cup winner and a member of the world’s elite. His position after two rounds showed that this time the local story was not merely an emotional addition to the tournament, but also a genuinely relevant part of the competitive battle.

According to The Open’s official profile, Fleetwood came closest to winning this tournament in 2019 at Royal Portrush, where he finished second behind Shane Lowry. A year earlier, he was also runner-up at the US Open after a final-round 63, which tied the championship record at the time. Those results strengthened his status as one of the best players of his generation without a major victory, although he made an important breakthrough in 2025 by winning the season-ending TOUR Championship and the overall FedEx Cup. Official PGA Tour data before Royal Birkdale listed him as the ninth-ranked player in the world. With such a résumé, every time he enters the weekend of a major championship near the top of the leaderboard, it carries additional significance.

What Woods’ message means for Sun Day Red

Sun Day Red was introduced in February 2024 as a joint project between Tiger Woods and TaylorMade, following the end of Woods’ decades-long association with Nike. According to TaylorMade’s official announcement, it was conceived as an independent apparel and footwear brand based on Woods’ experience, his performance-related requirements and his recognizable habit of wearing red on Sundays. The name is a direct reference to the final rounds of tournaments, during which Woods competed for decades in a red shirt and black trousers. The tiger logo with 15 stripes is symbolically connected to his 15 major championship titles. From the beginning, the brand sought to combine technical golf apparel with products that could also be worn away from the course.

Woods’ post about Fleetwood therefore has a broader commercial context. Sun Day Red is no longer merely clothing worn by its founder, but a brand seeking visibility on other professional players as well. Fleetwood attracted attention in 2026 with frequent changes to his outfits following the end of his long-term contract with Nike. Golf Digest and other specialized media reported that the Englishman began the season without a permanent clothing sponsor and used products from various manufacturers. That freedom allowed him to experiment with different styles at major tournaments, but it also encouraged speculation about which brand he might sign his next long-term agreement with.

It is important, however, to separate product visibility from a confirmed business relationship. Woods’ sentence was praise for the appearance, not an official announcement. Neither Sun Day Red nor Fleetwood had publicly announced by July 18 that the Englishman had become a brand ambassador. In professional golf, players sometimes wear individual pieces of clothing without an exclusive contract, particularly when they are between two long-term partnerships. For that reason, the most accurate description is that Fleetwood’s appearance in Sun Day Red opened the door to speculation, while official confirmation of any potential collaboration does not currently exist.

A brief post on a major sporting stage

Social media has become an important part of the way sports brands appear during the biggest competitions. A single sentence from Woods, published while Fleetwood was on the course, connected television footage, tournament photographs and fan discussions without a traditional advertising campaign. Woods has a unique status in golf: his comment about clothing is interpreted simultaneously as the reaction of a sporting great, a brand founder and a person who has influenced the appearance of professional golf for decades. That is precisely why the message “Looking good out there” carries greater value than its length would suggest. It did not change the score on the leaderboard, but it increased interest in Fleetwood’s choice of clothing and in Sun Day Red.

For Fleetwood, the post arrived at a moment when he was already under increased scrutiny because of the tournament’s location. His upbringing in Southport, his results in majors, his pursuit of a first major title and the support of the crowd create a story that attracts viewers beyond the United Kingdom. Adding Woods’ name to that story increased its international reach. At the same time, Fleetwood maintained his focus on the sporting aspect of the task and completed the second round among the title contenders. His clothing thus became a topic, but it did not overshadow the fact that he was only four strokes behind the leader at the halfway point of the tournament.

Royal Birkdale once again at the center of world golf

The Open returned to Royal Birkdale for the eleventh time in 2026. According to official information from the organizers, the competitive rounds are being held from July 16 to 19, while the full tournament program began on July 12. The course in Southport first hosted The Open in 1954 and has since been the setting for victories by some of the most important names in golf history. Previous winners at the venue include Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Mark O'Meara, Pádraig Harrington and Jordan Spieth. Spieth was the most recent winner there in 2017, following a dramatic finish that further reinforced Royal Birkdale’s reputation as a course where the standings can change quickly.

The course stretches among sand dunes, and the fairways are often situated in natural corridors that provide players with a clearer view of the target than on some other links courses. That, however, does not mean Royal Birkdale is easy. Wind, deep bunkers, firm surfaces and awkward approach angles punish inaccuracy, while conditions can differ significantly between morning and afternoon starting times. In the second round in 2026, Herbert and Sam Burns each shot 62, tying the record for the lowest single-round score in major championship history. On the same day, numerous well-known players struggled with the cut, demonstrating how the same course can offer completely different experiences.

Fleetwood’s position at four under par therefore represented a balance between attack and risk control. He did not produce a record round like Herbert or Burns, but he avoided a score that would have moved him away from the lead. In a tournament with so many players separated by only a few strokes, patience, bunker play and the ability to adapt to the wind could become decisive. The home crowd can provide him with additional encouragement, but the result will depend on whether he can maintain his accuracy and convert enough opportunities on the greens. Woods’ public praise added an interesting detail to Friday at Royal Birkdale, but Fleetwood’s primary objective remained unchanged: to stay in contention for the Claret Jug until the closing holes on Sunday.

Sources:
- The Open – official leaderboard for the 154th edition of the tournament and standings after the second round (link)
- The Open – information about the tournament dates, Royal Birkdale and its hosting history (link)
- The Open – official profile of Tommy Fleetwood and results in major championships (link)
- PGA Tour / Associated Press – Fleetwood’s relationship with Southport and his performance in front of the home crowd (link)
- PGA Tour – report from the second round of The Open and key moments from Fleetwood’s performance (link)
- ESPN – Fleetwood’s hole-by-hole scorecard from the first two rounds (link)
- Times of India – report on Woods’ post on the X platform and his message to Fleetwood (link)
- TaylorMade Golf – official announcement about the launch of the Sun Day Red brand (link)
- Tommy Fleetwood – official list of current partners (link)
- Golf Digest – context surrounding the end of Fleetwood’s contract with Nike and his status without a permanent clothing sponsor (link)