What Tommy Fleetwood did this week makes criticism of Rory McIlroy look ridiculous

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What Tommy Fleetwood did this week makes criticism of Rory McIlroy look ridiculous

Originally posted on HITC | By Charlie Walker | Last updated May 29, 2026 10:23 AM ET

When Rory McIlroy won The Masters, he came under fire for a ridiculous reason.

He revealed mid-tournament that he had spent the weeks leading up to the year’s first major flying back and forth from Augusta National in preparation. By the time The Masters started, he looked more prepared than any player in the field for the test, and won his second straight Green Jacket.

Some argued that McIlroy had gained an unfair advantage over the rest of the field by having so many practice rounds before The Masters. If this wasn’t just fans online. ESPN’s First Take did an entire debate segment on this topic.

But what Tommy Fleetwood has done this week has made these critiques look silly.

Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

Tommy Fleetwood visited Royal Birkdale ahead of The Open Championship

This year’s Open Championship is at Royal Birkdale, a place that’s close to Fleetwood’s heart. It’s his hometown course in Southport, and a place where the Englishman will be a home favorite.

And over a month before he’ll tee it up in the hope of winning the Claret Jug, Fleetwood has visited Birkdale. He posted some photos of himself playing the course on social media, captioned: “Perfect day on the links!!”

The real reason Fleetwood was playing at Birkdale this week is unknown. It’s likely to do some sort of media shoot before The Open Championship in July. But it makes the criticisms of McIlroy from The Masters look ridiculous.

You won’t hear people calling Fleetwood out for gaining an unfair advantage over the rest of The Open Championship field. It’s what golfers have always done when given the chance.

Players will already have played some rounds at Shinnecock Hills ahead of the US Open to get the lay of the land, in the same way they practiced around Aronimink before the PGA Championship.

It’s what Jack Nicklaus did, it’s what Tiger Woods did, and it’s what Fleetwood did this week. So any criticisms of McIlroy should be aimed their way too.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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