Englishman is course record holder at 'Car-nasty'
Ryder Cup hero Tony Jacklin has tipped Tommy Fleetwood to win one of the year's three remaining majors, with the Open his best chance of success.
Jacklin, who is the tournament host for the 2018 Farmfoods British Par 3 that takes place from August 7-10, played alongside a 22-year-old Fleetwood in the Nailcote Hall event in 2013 and has been keeping close tabs on his progress ever since.
As well as elevating himself firmly into the top 20 with three wins in the past 18 months, Fleetwood also smashed the long-standing Carnoustie course record with a 63 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last October, which has helped strengthen Jacklin's belief that his major breakthrough may not be too far away.
"Tommy's made a marked improvement in his game this last year, there's no doubt about that," said the 73-year-old. "Every win you have gives you more confidence, but you still need that element of luck to get the job done at the highest level.
"His best shot at a major might be at Carnoustie. If he gets off to a good start, he'll have a lot of home support there. He's really raised his game, and he's a world-class player now, it's great to see him make his mark on the sport and it's good news for the future of the game."
On the upcoming Ryder Cup, Jacklin also dismissed the notion that USA are favourites for the match and is excited by the prospects of the European team.
"As well as Tommy, there's the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick and, in particular, Jon Rahm, They're all good, young players for the future of European golf.
"September is a long while away, and I don't think there are any favourites for the Cup at the moment, but it'll be an exciting week, that's for sure."
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