American Brian Harman received the British Open by six pictures on Sunday, ending 13 beneath par to assert his first main title at a rainswept Hoylake.
Masters champion Jon Rahm tied for second alongside Austria’s Sepp Straka, Australian Jason Day and South Korean Tom Kim.
However nobody might get near Harman because the world quantity 26 refused to buckle beneath the strain of closing out his first match win since 2017.
“I’ve at all times had a self-belief that I might do one thing like this. It’s simply when it takes a lot time it’s laborious to not let your thoughts falter, like perhaps I’m not successful once more,” stated Harman.
“To return out and put a efficiency like that collectively, like begin to end, (I) simply had numerous management. I don’t know why this week, however I’m very grateful that it was this week.”
Harman held a five-shot lead in a single day, a margin no participant had squandered at a significant since Frenchman Jean van de Velde, who collapsed on the final gap of the 1999 British Open.
The 36-year-old’s temperament was examined early on the soaking Royal Liverpool course on the English west coast.
Harman bogeyed the second after a wayward method failed to search out the inexperienced and was then punished for a wild tee shot on the par-five fifth with one other dropped shot.
His lead was briefly minimize to a few pictures, however back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh settled his nerves and stretched his lead because the chasing pack didn’t make a transfer.
“Simply with the climate and the state of affairs, you’re going to hit dangerous pictures,” added Harman. “I knew that the best way I responded to that will decide whether or not I’d be sitting right here or not.”
His elegant placing was the important thing to his success all week and he nailed an enormous 40-foot birdie putt at 14 earlier than one other birdie on the par-five fifteenth set the seal on a remarkably composed efficiency.
Rahm, McIlroy fall quick
Rahm shot a course-record 63 on Saturday to get again within the hunt for his third main.
The Spaniard wanted related heroics to ramp up the strain on the chief, however might solely handle a one-under spherical of 70 because of a birdie on the final to climb right into a share of second.
Straka’s two-under-par remaining spherical was sufficient to safe his best-ever end at a significant and increase his hopes of representing Europe on the Ryder Cup later this 12 months.
Kim’s joint-second was additionally a career-best at a significant, whereas Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner, continued his return to type after years of battle with a again harm.
Rory McIlroy completed in a tie for sixth on six beneath par alongside Argentine Emiliano Grillo.
McIlroy’s wait to win a fifth main will now prolong into at the very least a tenth 12 months.
Not for the primary time this week, the Northern Irishman made a blistering begin with three birdies in his opening 5 holes to maneuver right into a share of second on the time.
However 4 pars to the flip slowed his momentum earlier than a bogey on the tenth ended his hopes of a miraculous victory on the scene of his solely British Open triumph in 2014.
McIlroy has now completed within the prime 10 at seven of the previous eight majors.
“If it weren’t for one man I’d be proper there,” stated McIlroy. “Nonetheless one other actually stable efficiency and nonetheless numerous golf to play this 12 months.”
Veteran Henrik Stenson’s tie for thirteenth was one of the best of a poor displaying from the group of gamers now plying their commerce on the Saudi-backed LIV golf circuit at three beneath.
Additional again, world quantity 561 Alex Fitzpatrick upstaged older brother and 2022 US Open champion Matt.
Enjoying in his first main championship, Alex Fitzpatrick completed at two beneath for a share of seventeenth, 4 pictures higher than Matt, who got here in at two over par for the championship.
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