After two rounds at Royal Liverpool, Brian Harman finds himself in an exclusive company after tying the 36-hole record shared by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. The Open Championship leaderboard was empty on Friday, which was even better.
With four straight birdies, Harman took the lead right away and saved his best for the last hole. With an eagle putt from 15 feet, he shot a 6-under 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over Tommy Fleetwood heading into the weekend.
A player hasn’t had a five-shot lead after 36 holes at a major competition since Scottie Scheffler did so at the Masters in 2021. Louis Oosthuizen at St. Andrews in 2010 was the last golfer to lead The Open Championship by five strokes at the halfway point. Both ended up winning easily.
“Eight shots is a lot of shots to notice a guy who is playing exceptionally well, however, I am aware that a lot may happen at an Open. But I believe we’ll just have to wait and see what Brian does. He now has control. He is to blame.” stated Jordan Spieth, who missed three shots on the back nine to make 71 that put him eight behind.
McIlroy needed to make up even more ground. A round in the 60s, he reasoned, would have immediately put him back in the mix. Around the turn, he started to fade, and his best chance to break par with a 70 was a birdie on the 18th par-5 hole. In his attempt to end nine years without a major, he was nine shots down.
The Open is being held at Royal Liverpool for the 13th time, and Harman’s 65 matched the course’s lowest score. He had a score of 10-under 132, matching that of Rory McIlroy in 2014 and Tiger Woods in 2006, both of whom went on to win the claret jug.
Harman didn’t give much thought to anything besides a little food and sleep.
“I’ve been putting well lately, so I’ll attempt to carry that momentum into the weekend. There are still 36 holes to play, so I should try to rest up and prepare.” Harman said.
Given the likelihood of rain on Saturday, staying dry may be the key.
Sepp Straka finished with six birdies and one bogey over his final seven holes for a 31 on the back nine and a 67 overall. Six strokes behind Harman, he was the only person in third place.
On the back nine, Fleetwood had back-to-back birdies to close the gap to Harman to four strokes, but he then ran into a bunker to the left of the 16th fairway. He had to hit a fantastic pitch to avoid bogey because he could only splash out. For his 71, he fought for par on the last two holes.
The galleries in the northwest of England gave Fleetwood a tonne of support even though Southport, where they both grew up, is around 45 minutes away. He began the 2019 Open final round at Royal Portrush four strokes behind Shane Lowry, so he is familiar with such deficits.
At least he still has 36 holes this time.
“Brian had a fantastic two days. He’s well ahead of everyone. Naturally, there is still a long way to go. Still, just play your part and take each shot as it comes for me and the other players. Simply continue playing till it’s over and then watch to see how you fare.” Fleetwood said.
The R&A decided to rake the sand in the bunker towards the edges to prevent golf balls from rolling next to the edges of the steep, rugged walls, but the course remained challenging. Such circumstances contributed to high numbers in the first round.
“The game was tough, really, really tough. There, ten-under par is quite outstanding. The weekend will bring whatever it may be. But after two days, I’m actually pleased with the work I’ve accomplished.” Mcilroy said.
Dustin Johnson’s 82 is his lowest major score since the Pebble Beach final round, which denied him a spot in the 2010 U.S. Open. Justin Thomas turned around his 82 with a 71 that was all about momentum. He will play in Minnesota the following week in an effort to make the FedExCup Playoffs on the PGA TOUR.
Who would make the cut at 3-over 145 was the only thing that caused controversy over the last hour.
The No. 1 player in the world, Scottie Scheffler, provided a crucial shot when he got up-and-down from a bunker on the 18th par-5 for a birdie. Scheffler has not had a result worse than 12th this year. He now had a 74, which was enough to pass the threshold.
The No. 4 player in the world, Patrick Cantlay, missed the cut by one when he chipped in for a birdie on the 17th par-3 hole.
Because of this, Harman’s round was so amazing. Harman, a diminutive lefty with grit from Georgia, has excelled at keeping the ball in play on grass rather than in pot bunkers, and over 36 holes, he has only made one bogey.
His start caught everyone’s attention; he made birdie putts on holes 2, 3, and 4 from 20 feet, 25 feet, and 18 feet, respectively. On the seventh par-5, he took a long shot, only to have his chip hit the pin and stop just inches from it for the easiest birdie of them all.
His two-par saves on holes 16 and 17 helped him set up his impressive finish. He also chipped in for par on hole 12 after having to smash backward from a fairway bunker.
In the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, Harman led after 54 holes, but he finished with a 74 as Brooks Koepka easily defeated him to win the first of his five majors. Harman claims he made the mistake of obsessing with the lead, something he wants to avoid doing in the future.
The fact that Harman, who is ranked No. 26 in the world, hasn’t won in six years and only has two PGA TOUR victories surprises him the most. Since the 2017 U.S. Open, he hasn’t competed in a major, and at St. Andrews last year, he only finished in the top 10 once more.
He was so angry with himself for missing the Masters cut this year that he didn’t pick up a club for three days and instead pursued his hobby of hunting, taking down a pig and a turkey.
A Scottish reporter was motivated by this to ask a question that was not asked by others at the Open Championship: “I take it the sheep and the cows are safe around here at the moment, are they ?”
“Sheep don’t, in my opinion, taste as wonderful as turkeys,” Harman said.
