TOMMY FLEETWOOD IS LOOKING TO SWING IT IN PARIS - DESPITE STRUGGLING WITH HIS FLOW - AS BRIT MOVES WITHIN ONE SHOT OF LEADERS JON RAHM AND DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPION XANDER SCHAUFFELE

Tommy Fleetwood stated that he has been struggling with his swing in Paris
Despite that, he is one shot behind leaders Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele
Rory McIlroy finished T6 at ten under, posting a score of five under on Saturday

A strange week for Tommy Fleetwood is offering an exciting possibility. Despite wrestling with his swing through three rounds at Le Golf National he is firmly in the fight for an Olympic gold medal.

After carding a 69, the Englishman will embark on his final loop on Sunday just a stroke off the 14-under-par lead jointly held by Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, the defending champion.

As ever the question will concern his ability to close out a tournament, but on the course where he won the French Open in 2017 and excelled in the Ryder Cup a year later, his familiarity with the surroundings is compensating for discomfort with his game.

‘My swing isn't flowing,’ he said. ‘It's not where I would like it to be but I've managed it so well all week.’

The highlight of his round was an up-and-down birdie from a bunker at the 14th and a scrambled par at the last. His only blip came with a bogey at the 12th.

Rory McIlroy is ominously placed at 10 under after picking up five strokes in a bogey-free 66.

Given his stated indifference to the Olympics after pulling out ahead of Rio 2016, his switch in thinking has carried him to reasonable proximity of the top.

‘The story of the first two days was the mistakes and today I went out with the mindset of trying to limit those mistakes, which I did,’ McIlroy said. ‘It was a really solid round of golf and puts me in contention for a medal tomorrow.

‘I shot three-under on the front nine each day. If I can go out and play the front nine like I've played it, I'll be right there.

‘It's amazing for the game to see all those sort the players up there. Obviously Xander who has had an incredible year; Scottie (Scheffler, who is tied with McIlroy at 10 under) is best player in the world and you've got Jon Rahm. It's an amazing leaderboard.’

Rahm is a fascinating figure in that mix. His form in the majors has been poor since he crossed over to LIV, but his win on the breakaway circuit a week ago appears to have shaken him into a closer resemblance of his old self.

A 66 on a day of tricky gusts and tucked pins was a fine effort, albeit one put in the shade by the 62 of his Ryder Cup team-mate Nicolai Hojgaard, who moved to 11 under.

Fleetwood’s team-mate, Matt Fitzpatrick, has withdrawn with a thumb injury.

2024-08-03T20:10:55Z dg43tfdfdgfd