Brian Harman finds himself among persons who are tall.
This is the first thing that stands out and the first contradiction—for the overwhelming champion of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where he shot a 1-under 70 on Sunday to defeat a foursome made up of Tom Kim, Sepp Straka, Jason Day, and Jon Rahm by six strokes. He had a five-shot lead going into the wet final round.
Patton Kizzire, who stands 6 feet 5 inches tall, is Harman’s closest friend on the PGA TOUR. Scott Tway, his caddie, is a 6-foot-4 man. He stood next to Christo Lamprecht, 6 feet 8 inches tall, as he accepted the claret jug outside in the rain.
“Yeah, that’s great, isn’t it?” He said, amusing the assembled reporters with his hilarious situation.
Although Harman is only 5’7″ and appears even shorter around the people he hangs out with, he plays big-boy golf, most notably with his 346-yard tee shot and 5-iron to 15 feet for an eagle on Friday, when he completely took over the competition.
That gave him a five-shot lead at the midway stage of the competition, a lead that was never seriously threatened over the next two days.
“I’m over the moon, yeah. Really, the last three days were difficult. It was important to be able to sleep yesterday night. I’m pleased I persevered the last few days since sleeping on a lead like that is very challenging.” he said.
“Really pleased with the turnaround after poor starts on both days,” he said.
Harman, who acknowledged that he has never played well in the weather, bogeyed the second hole and nearly went off the course at the third.
Nevertheless, he didn’t slip all through.
He got up and down for par at the third hole from the thick rough, holing the putt from 7 1/2 feet. His five-shot advantage was reinstated after he bogeyed the fifth par-5 but birdied the sixth and seventh holes.
He is perceived by the general public as an unexpected victor and amiable person who just so happened to get hot at the appropriate moment. He is neither of those things, according to people who know him well.
“I engaged him in the Bobby Chapman, an epic duel, in South Carolina. Just like this, we played 18 holes of golf in the rain. I was maybe 17 at the time, he was just 15 years old. He was the most gifted and passionate child I had ever seen.
If that man could just calm down a little bit, he’s going to be absolutely fantastic, I just recalled thinking as I left the course. And, indeed, he was. He was very hot.” Todd added.
In addition to winning the 2003 U.S. Junior, making a TOUR cut at age 17, and being the youngest player to ever represent the United States in the Walker Cup, Harman was twice named the AJGA Player of the Year.
According to J.T. Poston, who lives and works in Sea Island with Harman, Harman was so impressive as a junior that some people wondered if he should forgo college entirely.
“He was that intelligent” Poston remarked.
It is not refuted by Harman.
“I succeeded. I had the pedigree, sort of. When I arrived at college, it started to kind of splutter. I didn’t follow the development. My professional career has had its share of highs and lows. I had the impression that I had discovered something slightly better last year.” Harman said.
His third TOUR victory and first since the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship came at The Open. After Harman’s maiden victory in the 2014 John Deere Classic, he was unexpectedly invited to play in his first Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. He made the cut that year after starting his round late on Friday, finishing after 10 p.m., and fell in love with links golf.
The local scribes had a hard time reconciling that with the outdoorsman and bowhunter Harman. He mentioned on Sunday how eager he was to use a tractor he had just purchased, prompting media to inquire about the spelling of Kubota—a rare inquiry for an Open.
He was questioned earlier in the week about the safety of the local sheep and cows as well as his opinion of his nicknames in the tabloids, Brian the Butcher and the Butcher of Hoylake. (These were screenshots that a friend showed him ).
However, others have suggested that Harman’s brand of independence is the finest way to source a steak. Harman, ever the gracious host, chuckled at them.
“I am aware of the origins of my meat. We plant food for the animals back at my hunting property where I live. We set aside fire specifically for the animals. We work for the animals in whatever we do. After that, we respect it, look after it, and use it to feed our family.” he said.
He takes this subject with the utmost seriousness. He may be sarcastic at other times, as when he praised Scotland for having “the worst weather on the planet. They triumph”.
However, this is also false. Those who know him best claim that he genuinely resembles a teddy bear and that he says these things with humor rather than malice. When Harman left the 18th Green on Sunday, he gave the audience kisses and patted his heart.
“Last year, I was having a little trouble. And he was probably the last person I would have anticipated reaching out to and offering some guidance. He said, “Hey, man, I know you’re struggling,” while we were practicing at home before one of our performances in Scottsdale. Everyone experiences it. Hold your head high. He is concerned for those that are closest to him.” Poston said.
Poston was moved by the gesture and went on to win that summer’s John Deere Classic.
Despite his quip about the Scottish weather, Harman, 36, is not as rural as the U.K. tabs would have you believe. When questioned about the comparison to former cricketer Ricky Ponting, he acknowledged that it is accurate.
Harman, who follows Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson as the third left-handed winners of The Open, also does everything but swing a golf club with his right hand. In this sense, he contrasts with left-handed Jordan Spieth, who won the 2017 Open Championship.
At the 2017 U.S. Open, Harman’s only previous major lead, he faltered with a final-round 72 to tie for second. Earlier this week, you might have obtained 125-to-1 odds on him to win. That’s partially due to the praise and criticism he received for his consistency. He has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs twelve years in a row.
“I’m proud of that,” he exclaimed.
But since the start of the 2017–18 season, he also had the most top-10 finishes (29) on the PGA TOUR without a victory. Just two events, the 2014 John Deere Classic, and the 2017 Wells Fargo, saw him as a winner.
“Only two wins is shocking to me,” Todd stated.
At Royal Liverpool, Harman, who entered the week ranked 39th in Strokes Gained: Putting, added a significant third. He was 44-for-44 from within 10 feet through 54 holes.
By the time he ultimately missed from inside 10 feet to Bogey the 13th par-3 hole, he had already made 55 consecutive strokes. He made birdies on numbers 14 and 15 to extend his lead to five once more and secure the victory without showing any signs of concern.
He ranked first in SG: Putting (+11.57) for the week, which is not surprising.
With the win, Harman rose to sixth in the FedExCup standings and to position 10 globally. He might now pose a threat in the FedExCup Playoffs and help the United States Ryder Cup campaign.
Friend and fellow Sea Islander Captain Zach Johnson claimed he would be “very comfortable” having the lefthander on the club and acknowledged that Harman reminds him of himself.
Johnson remarked, “I think he’s made for this.”
“He will be fantastic due to his excellent form, and if he continues to put like this, he will best his opponents.” his old Georgia Teammate Todd said.
At Royal Liverpool, Harman undoubtedly accomplished that.
