News
Brian Harman is the 2023 Open Champion and Champion Golfer of the Year
Runaway champions in the major game don’t happen all that often. 15 shots happened in the 2000 US Open, and 8 shots happened three times since, but none after 2014. The owners of those wins were towering figures in the game of golf, at least at the time. Woods, McIlroy, and Kaymer were formidable golfers, and each one’s reputation suggested a sense of intimidation. In 2019, Shane Lowry won by six at Royal Portrush, and he almost fit the mold of the Woods and McIlroys of the golf world.
Brian Harman does not cut a physically-towering figure, nor is his reputation for tour wins one for the record books. The golfer of average height and girth carried a pair of PGA Tour wins into this week’s Open Championship, and neither was more recent than 2017. Harman had led major events with 18 holes to play, but a) it wasn’t yet his time; or b) he didn’t know how to win; or c) both of the above.
Back-to-back birdies for Brian Harman.
Superb mental resilience. He restores a five stroke advantage.
Follow live on https://t.co/uD88irbPY5. pic.twitter.com/G0XufExpMp
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2023
How did the Savannah, Georgia native find the way home to victory at Royal Liverpool? How did he seize the lead after 36 holes, then fend off the old, the young, and the in-between, and claim stewardship of the Claret Jug for the entirety of the next year? The answer might be found in a few of his answers to post-round questions on Sunday.
“I haven’t historically done very good in the rain. It’s just always bugged me. I was really proud of the way that I struck the ball in the rain today.”
Imagine for a moment, that you arrive at the golf course, on the biggest day of your golfing life. You gritted out a minus-two round on Saturday, playing in the pressure of the last group. Your reward is another day in the final game of the sport’s grandest stage. And you find that the gentle zephyrs have increased in strength, and the sunny skies have turned gray and moist. And you’re not the game’s best rain player.
“I’ve got a lot of layers, man. I’m like an onion.”
We all know that Brian Harman is a great putter. He’s so good, his distance putts hit the hole dead center, full steam ahead. When he’s dialed in, the only requirement is: find the green in regulation. He also putts pretty well from close in, Through the first 54 holes, Harman was a perfect 44-for-44 on putts ten feet and under. Think about that for a moment. Think about giving yourself the same, ten-feet putt 44 consecutive times, and ask yourself, how many would I make? Well, Harman hits a lot of fairways, and he hits a lot of greens. He’s also pretty handy with a wedge around the green. Like Shrek, Harmans have layers.
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
“My family is up at a lake house in upstate New York, so I’m going to get there tomorrow evening and I’ll spend three days with them, and we’ll do some fishing and I’ll get to spend some good family time.”
Win, lose, or draw, Harman was headed to Skaneateles to hang with the fam. What’s that? Oh, it’s pronounced skay-knee-AT-uh-luhs. It’s sort of near Syracuse, along the ring finger of the five Finger Lakes. There are absolutely zero flights from England to Syracuse, at least of the direct sort. My guess is that Harman knows a guy who knows a guy, and he’ll get there on a much smaller, fancier plane.
“It’s been hard to deal with. I think someone mentioned that I’ve had more top 10s than anyone since 2017, so that’s a lot of times where you get done, you’re like, dammit, man, I had that one; it just didn’t happen for whatever reason.”
Padraig Harrington, after his Friday round, commented that Harman had the perfect chip on his shoulder. Not too cumbersome, but hefty enough to motivate him. More people than his wife think that Harman is good looking, but he doesn’t have movie-star bones structure, and a quick hat removal reveals a balding head. And then there’s that height thing. Harrington continued that Harman doesn’t fit the mold, and so he doesn’t get the respect and recognition that he’s due. That’s about to change. He had this one, and it did happen, for a lot of reasons.
Mastery of the elements.
Brian Harman claims a supreme six stroke victory at Hoylake.
A magnificent performance. pic.twitter.com/Ic3HRsF5my
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2023
“After I made the second bogey yesterday, a guy, when I was passing him, he said, Harman, you don’t have the stones for this. That helped.”
As if Harman needed any more motivation. It’s like a scene out of Happy Gilmore, with a paid heckler working opposite the intent. Harman had slow starts on both weekend days, but his deep, internal resolve allowed him to turn the negative into a positive, and break away from the downward spiral. Golfers like Rahm, Kim, McIlroy and others gave chase on both days, but Harman never even cracked the door, much less opened it.
“Yeah, I look forward to coming back for a really long time. … the first time I came I played in 2014. I just didn’t know what to expect … But I came here and I was like, wow, man, this is unbelievable. The fans are incredible. Everyone understands golf over here. It was just a delight to play. Man, I’m stoked. Stoked to come back here.”
Like another fellow from Georgia, I suspect that they’ll welcome him back for a really long time. No matter what they knew or didn’t know, thought or didn’t think, about Brian Harman before this week, this weekend, this day, he now belongs to them. He is their Champion Golf of the Year 2023.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.
While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.
Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
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News
Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue
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News
Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls
This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)
This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.
LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms
There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.
This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.
Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.
Take a look back at hole No. 1… @rosezhang is living life on the edge ? pic.twitter.com/o6z6SK7TRA
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte
Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.
Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.
HOLE-OUT EAGLE FOR RORY!!!
He now leads by SIX! pic.twitter.com/UE49lwfwNC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week
It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.
The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.
Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.
Leader by SIX!
@ChrisGotterup | @MyrtleBeachC pic.twitter.com/TVdA6ZPYc4— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie
Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.
In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again. Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.
Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.
At the @RegionsTrad, all champions receive a green bike.
Doug Barron decided to take a victory lap ? pic.twitter.com/bEzENMjZwv
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 13, 2024
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