Brian Harman dominates Open Championship to win 1st-career major

Brian Harman posted a 1-under 70 in the Final Round of The 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Sunday to win the Claret Jug and the first major of his career.

Harman kept it steady through the rain as the field of competitors, including past major champions Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, as well as fellow University of Georgia alum Sepp Straka and Jason Day among others, failed to make up much ground. He finished 13-under par for the tournament, six shots ahead of Rahm, Straka, Day and Tom Kim. Harman became the first player since Henry Cotton in 1934 to lead by at least five shots after each of the final three rounds at The Open Championship, per ESPN Stats & Info. His six-stroke margin of victory is the second largest in Open Championship history (Tiger Woods, 8 at St. Andrews in Scotland in 2000).

In addition to being his first-ever win in a major, it’s Harman’s first overall win since the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2017. Harman, 36, is just the fifth left-handed golfer to win a major. He joins Sir Bob Charles, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson.

The Champion Golfer of the Year. pic.twitter.com/wAFKiddk0e

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2023

“Just overwhelming joy,” Harman told Mike Tirico of NBC Sports. “… Cool as it gets. This is the best tournament in the world. Absolutely thrilled.”

Brian Harman plays his way into potential spot at Ryder Cup

Harman, the 26th ranked player in the world, collects $3 million for the win and becomes the oldest first-time major champion since Sergio Garcia, 37, won the Masters in 2017, according to ESPN. With the win, he is expected to move to No. 3 in the Ryder Cup points standings, all but guaranteeing his place in the U.S. team. The top-six players in the standings after the BMW Championship on Aug. 20 automatically earn qualification.

U.S. team captain Zach Johnson said Sunday he wasn’t shocked by Harman’s play this weekend in Merseyside.

“He’s a mudder, he’s a grinder,” Johnson said. “For lack of a better cliché, he’s a bulldog. I think he’s made for this, you know? I’ve played a lot of golf with him… Been around him in and out of the ropes for quite a while now. What I’ve witnessed the last three days, absolutely none of it surprises me at all. No shock. No surprise.”