PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Americans have won nine of the last 10 majors, thanks in large part to Brooks Koepka’s Grand Slam tear, but if there is anyone who turn the tide this week at Royal Portrush it’s Tommy Fleetwood.

Fleetwood, who paired with Francesco Molinari to go undefeated in team play at last year’s Ryder Cup, has certainly put himself in position to be the American spoiler thanks to a second-round 67 at The Open that left him in second place.

With four of the top 10 players on the leaderboard, including front-runner J.B. Holmes, from the United States, Fleetwood is being billed by some as the European/international side’s best hope this week.

“There's no doubt about it, America at the moment have the best players in the world. They have an amazing strength and depth of golfers,” Fleetwood said.

Whether the Englishman’s Ryder Cup exploits can translate into success in major championships remains to be seen, but Fleetwood was confident he could pull from last year’s matches if his solid play continues.

“The thing about the Ryder Cup is it's an experience that you just can't be prepared for,” he said. “I think that was just something that you take from it. The only comparison to how you feel I guess is contending in a major on a Sunday.”