The old trophy got a new name. Brian Harman’s 70th stroke of the day, his 271st of this 151st Open Championship, provided the final clinical deed as the 36-year-old American – undeterred by the nuisance of persistent rain – added his imprint on the famed Hoylake links to those of legendary names who had previously claimed the Claret Jug.
In joining the likes of Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones Tiger Woods and, indeed, Rory McIlroy as the Champion Golfer of the Year on the links hard by the mudflats of the Dee estuary, Harman – claiming a breakthrough Major title – showed dogged stubbornness to stay on track, strategically plotting a route to avoid disasters and, late on, using his putter as a powerful weapon to complete the job.
A final round 70 for a total of 13-under-par 271 gave Harman, a hunter of wild game in his spare time, his biggest prize.
If there were early final round stumbles, two bogeys in his opening six holes, it all proved rather elementary thereafter as he collected back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh and, then, after dropping a shot on the 13th, he bounced back with further birdies on the 14th and 15th.
Those in pursuit failed to get a sniff of their intended prey. Jon Rahm got to within three when birdied the fifth but then the trail went cold. Sepp Straka, too, got to within three when the Austrian birdied the 16th and behind him Harman bogeyed the 13th. But the homeward run was one where Harman was sure-footed and truly brilliant in his shot-making, executing his game plan to perfection.
Not that hunting is in any of his immediate plans. Rather, he intends to join his family in upstate New York for a break and some fishing, while the arrival of a new tractor – orange, if you must know – will have him unwinding by mowing the grass on his 40 acres holding. “I’m very excited about that,” said Harman.
Such excitement was kept in check through a final round where Harman was entirely focused on the task at hand.
Nobody, in truth, made a charge. Rory McIlroy had a hat-trick of birdies from the third to the fifth but then hit a wall and didn’t find another birdie until the 14th by which time he was too far cast adrift, as he ultimately signed for a 68 for 278 in tied-sixth.
“I got off to a really good start but it’s just hard to keep that going, just tricky conditions and I was very reluctant to hit the driver because the club face gets wet and the ball could go anywhere. I sort of had to lay back off tees and try to play as conservatively and as smart as possible. Overall, it was a solid performance, not spectacular,” admitted McIlroy.
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Others never got going. Tommy Fleetwood, the first round leader, looked thoroughly miserable as he made his way up the 18th. He’d suffered a triple-bogey six on the Par 3 17th and, before that, his putter had been stone cold and disobedient. Ironically, it belatedly warmed up on the 18th as he rolled in a birdie for a 72 for 280 which left him in tied-10th. It was small consolation, to be honest.
Cameron Young, too, failed to gain any momentum. In the final pairing with Harman, Young was on the back foot from the start with an opening bogey and signed for a 73 for 270, in tied-eighth. “I put myself in a position to win a Major championship and had an unfortunate day,” said Young.
For Harman, though, his breakthrough win was achieved in style. Although the atmosphere was somewhat dampened by the rain, with spectators more concerned in holding on to their umbrellas than in clapping, Harman’s first win since his Wells Fargo success in 2017 was accomplished in a manner that suggested a hunter’s clinical coldness.
“I’ve always had a self-belief that I could do something like this. It’s just when it takes so much time it’s hard not to let your mind falter, like maybe I’m not winning again. I’m 36 years old. The game is getting younger. All these young guys coming out, hit it a mile, and they’re all ready to win. Like, ‘when is it going to be my turn again?’. It just didn’t happen for whatever reason. So, to come out and put a performance like that together, like start to finish, just had a lot of control. I don’t know why this week, but I’m very thankful that it was this week,” said Harman.
