video caption, Watch Harman's victorious final at Royal LiverpoolItem information
- Author, Peter Scrivener
- Role, Senior journalist for ` Sport
- Reporting from Royal throne
-
1 hour ago
Brian Harman is looking forward to the “refreshing” challenge of returning to links golf when he defends his Open Championship title at Royal Troon in July, although he admits he “hated it” at first.
The American is not alone.
A number of legendary players, including five-time Open champion Tom Watson, didn't immediately fall in love with the coastal courses, which are often buffeted by strong winds, feature penalty bunkers and cause erratic jumps.
The American said he had not yet visited Troon, the Ayrshire course that will host its 10th Open this year, and jokingly asked the assembled media for “any tips”.
One offered “Stay out of the bunkers”, although Harman needn't be reminded as he was particularly adept at avoiding sand when he won by six shots at Royal Liverpool last year and only twice all week fell into the trap.
However, he remembered his sobering baptism in links golf in neighboring Prestwick, where the first Open was held in 1860.
“When I first played links golf, I hated it – it ate me to pieces,” said the 37-year-old, who lost all four of his games when Europe beat the United States in the 2006 Palmer Cup.
“I kept trying to hit lob wedges around the greens and the weather was bad. I got whipped and lost all my matches.
Harman only returned to links golf when he made his Open Championship debut at Royal Liverpool in 2014, saying that's when he “just completely fell in love with it.”
“I went through a period where I missed four cuts in a row at The Open and just couldn't quite get it right, but I knew I was really enjoying golf even if I wasn't playing particularly well,” he added .
“It’s a mind game. You have to be able to hit every single type of golf shot.”
“There are a lot of different ways to be successful and that’s something that’s been missing from our game week in and week out and I wish we had a little more of that.”
“It’s refreshing to play challenging golf that isn’t just a one-stop shop.”
When Harman won at Royal Liverpool, he said he suffered “unrepeatable” abuse in the third round while playing with Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who was born just up the coast in Southport.
He was also booed on the first tee as he began his final round, although he later said that made him even more determined to win.
However, the third left-hander to win the Claret Jug after Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson said he found the majority of fans at The Open to be “knowledgeable” and “a joy to play in front of.”
“Do I expect hostility? I have no idea,” he said. “I'm prepared for anything. I always really enjoyed playing golf in front of the fans there because they understand what a good shot is. You understand what a bad shot is. You get it.”
There will be 10,000 fewer fans at the Royal Troon than the 260,000 at the Wirral Peninsula ground last year. But the 250,000 sell-out 152nd Championship – 70,000 more than the last edition in 2016 – will be a record for an Open played in Scotland outside St Andrews.
video caption, The Open: Brian Harman wins at Hoylake
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