Tommy Fleetwood is ready to chase his “dream” and challenge at St Andrews after a last round charge at the Genesis Scottish Open.
The 31-year-old Southport star shot a three under 67 to leap up the leaderboard to secure fourth place at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick to break up the dominance of US rivals.
Xander Schauffele took the £1.2m first prize on seven under ahead of Kurt Kitayama on six under.
Wales’ Jamie Donaldson grabbed Open qualification finishing sixth on three under alongside in-form US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
Fleetwood fired four birdies with the only blemish a bogey on the tricky 18th wrecking his chance of pressuring the leaders.
The world number 44 finished four under for the tournament and was only hampered by his first round score of 73 which left him playing catch up.
Fleetwood missed the cut at the recent US Open, but finished fifth at the US PGA and at the other Major this year finished 14th at the Masters.
He will face Tiger Woods this week after the legend played a practice round on the Old Course on Sunday and Fleetwood said: “It's going to be special and St Andrews. It's my dream, and a lot of other people's dreams, is to win and lift that trophy.
“It's something to be very, very excited about. I'll look at what I could do better this week and some preparations for next week and start all over again on Thursday.
“I feel good. The course was pretty fast. It was great to play in those conditions and get a sense of how the ball is reacting.
“I get excited whenever I go to St Andrews, whether it's an Open Championship or Dunhill Links Championship or just for fun.
“I bogeyed the last so you come off a bit disappointed. I think I had half a chance if I could have just made par there.
“But overall I played great, so I have to be happy with that. I think I improved every day and throughout the week. Whatever happens, it's a really good result and it's a positive week.
“This season I’ve been there or thereabouts, just with nothing that great happening. It's been pretty good. Not bad. Just not where I want to be.
“I want to be better. Everybody wants to be better and I think I can be but overall it's been a much more positive year than last year.
“I look at where I am now compared to where I was this time last year and when the season was sort of finishing last season, I'm in a much better spot.
“You're always looking for that extra little bit, that extra little bit more that you can do but there's only one guy that wins every week. I have to make sure I keep seeing the good parts and seeing the light, and there's always the next week.”
