Three talking points from the British Open
The scoreboard is pictured on the 18th grandstand on day four of the 151st British Open Golf Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Course in Hoylake, north west England on July 23, 2023. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE
Hoylake, United Kingdom | AFP | Sunday 7/24/2023 – 02:30
Brian Harman stormed to his maiden major win by six shots at the British Open on Sunday as even the treacherous weather at Hoylake failed to blow him off course.
The American held his nerve despite a difficult start to his final round to finish at 13 under par.
Kim Tom, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka and Jason Day finished in a tie for second, but it was another missed opportunity at a major for Rory McIlroy.
AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the 151st British Open:
– Another new major champion –
Harman's ability to streak clear of the field, thanks to a stunning six-under-par round of 65 in difficult conditions on Friday, and steely resolve under pressure, is another indication of the depth at the top of the game.
The world number 26 had not tasted victory on the PGA Tour since 2017 before Sunday.
Now he is the 11th different winner in 12 majors over the past three years.
Seven of those were first-time major winners, with Rahm the sole player to claim two titles.
Austria's Straka (28th in the world), South Korea's Kim (24th) and Day (27th) claimed their share of second place alongside Rahm, the world number three.
World number one Scottie Scheffler finished outside the top 12 for the first time all year at Royal Liverpool, yet will end the year without adding to his sole major at the 2022 Masters.