Brian Harman seals commanding Open victory with Titleist
Brian Harman dominated a stacked leaderboard in tough conditions to claim his maiden major victory and become Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal Liverpool.
Taking on the wind and rain of England's North-West coast, Brian Harman conquered both to secure a runaway victory at the 151st Open Championship, claiming his first major trophy.
Few fans would have picked Harman to walk off the 72nd hole of Royal Liverpool with the Claret Jug in his hands, but that didn't stop the Georgia-born golfer from putting on a faultless display to finish -13, winning by six shots.
With a chasing pack of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Tom Kim all eventually coming up short, Harman, 36, proved too good and strode to victory with one of the finest putting displays we've seen in recent memory.
Taking a five-shot lead into the final round, the 5-foot-7 American battled a waterlogged Royal Liverpool with power and precision to card a one-under 70, which was enough to hold the chasing pack at bay.
After two early bogeys gave his competitors a sliver of hope to hang onto, he regained his composure, making back-to-back birdies on the 6th and 7th holes.
With plenty of golf still to play on the back nine and disaster lurking around every corner, the nicknamed 'Butcher of Hoylake" managed two more birdies on the 14th and 15th holes to give himself a clear path to victory.
Relentless from Brian Harman.
A 40 foot masterstroke from the long-time leader.
He is now on the verge. pic.twitter.com/NXEOg0kk0X— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2023
With seemingly both the crowd and conditions working against him, Harman put on a masterful display of golf to seal his first major victory and a hefty winners cheque worth £2.3 million.
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Many will be familiar with the phrase "drive for show, putt for dough", and this couldn't have been truer for Harman as he holed a staggering 58/59 of putts within 10 feet throughout the four days with his TaylorMade Spider OS CB putter.
He led the field in strokes gained putting for the week, picking up 2.85 strokes on the field.
The now three-time PGA Tour winner was also exemplary tee-to-green. Relying on a full bag of Titleist clubs, the American gained 1.83 strokes on the field as he waggled his way to victory.
But can you waggle your wedge as well as Brian Harman? pic.twitter.com/e7CYUApIkL
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 23, 2023
Thanks to his Open victory, Harman has now broken into the Official World Golf Rankings top 10 for the first time in his career, sitting comfortably at #10. With the 2023 Ryder Cup only a matter of months away, the American will be hoping he can also break into his first Ryder Cup team when Team America heads to Italy at the end of September.
Brian Harman: WITB 2023
Driver: Titleist TSi2 (9 degrees; Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 5 S)
3-Wood: Titleist TS2 (13.5 degrees; Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution 2 S)
Irons: Titleist U500 (3-5; True Temper Dynamic Gold S300), Titleist 620 CB (6-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold S300)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50, 54, 60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold S400)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider OS CB
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
