Tommy Fleetwood delivered on his pledge to give his home Southport crowd something to cheer with three birdies on his front nine but his bid to become the first English winner of The Open in 34 years faltered around the turn.The Southport golfer, wearing Tiger Woods’ clothing brand, had three birdies as he turned in 31.He got off to the perfect start with a birdie at the first after holing a 73-foot putt which elicited the loudest roar heard on Royal Birkdale all week.The 35-year-old Everton fan birdied the driveable par-four fifth, almost chipped in at the seventh but then birdied the next from eight feet to get to eight under.When overnight leader Sam Burns bogeyed the fifth moments later, the Englishman was just one off the top but an unforced error from the middle of the ninth fairway saw him fly the green.It left him with an impossible chip back and after racing 40ft past he two-putted from there for bogey.He then bogeyed the next after failing to find the fairway to drop back to six under.It was a bizarre few minutes as world number one Scottie Scheffler, who had also got himself to eight under, could only advance his ball a few yards from a buried lie on the 13th to drop a shot.But behind them Burns was self-destructing after pulling his drive into a ditch at the sixth for a third successive bogey as he went back to eight under.It was all playing into the hands of another American Cameron Young, who reached the 18th tee at 10 under after seven birdies.However, having found sand off the tee he drilled his escape into the face and the ball rebounded sideways into the rough, from where he hit into a greenside trap and – although he almost holed – his first bogey of the day saw him sign for a 64 and the clubhouse lead on nine under.Si Woo Kim was leader on the course after back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth lifted him to 10 under.Rory McIlroy continued to struggle at Royal Birkdale (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)One behind, Ryan Fox scrambled well to be one under through seven holes.A disinterested-looking Rory McIlroy’s final round failed to ignite with four birdies, three bogeys and a double in a 71 which left him one under.