Given that he’s No 10 in the world and was runner-up in the US Open last month, the question from the floor that he’s “not the main attraction” here at Carnoustie this week was greeted with an instant response from Tommy Fleetwood, writes Nick Rodger.

“Who is the main attraction then?,” he said with a smile. Of course, the line of enquiry wasn’t meant in a disparaging sense.

A year ago at Royal Birkdale, Fleetwood had the weight of Southport on his shoulders. After posting a first round 76 amid great expectations, the fact Fleetwood battled back to make the cut was quite an achievement.

Read more: Nick Rodger: It's Open season as golf takes centre stage in jam-packed market​

A year on, he’s not the local hero but plenty will fancy him for Claret Jug glory. “Last year was a very special experience but expectation is a funny thing,” he reflected.

“I hadn’t made the cut in an Open before but I was still one of the favourites to win it. It was a strange combination.”

Fleetwood shot a course record 63 at Carnoustie in the Dunhill Links last year but the course in October, with a set-up to accommodate the Pro-Am format, bears little resemblance to the rock hard track this week.

“Shots that you’ve hit (at the Dunhill) have literally no relevance for a lot of it,” Fleetwood said. “It was definitely apparent that the difficulties this week are probably going to be putting it in play and hitting it in the fairways and going from there.

“It doesn’t do any harm to have a course record, but it’s a completely different challenge to what we usually see.”