Brian Harman Is the Man to Catch at the British Open, and Here Are Some Who Could
HOYLAKE, England – Brian Harman had more than 24 hours to think about the lead he built at the British Open before teeing off on Saturday afternoon, and then he saw a hard-charging Jon Rahm make things interesting before the diminutive lefty even hit a shot.
But in the end Harman performed just fine, pushing his final-round lead to the same place he started the third round: five strokes.
There have been bigger collapses as well as comebacks, but Harman finds himself in a great spot heading into the final round at Royal Liverpool, where he is competing in his 30th major championship. He’s had just two previous major top 10s and only two wins on the PGA Tour. But the tournament is his to control now, and he's made just three bogeys in three days.
Can anyone catch him? Here’s a look at the contenders heading into the final round of the 151st Open.
Leader, Brian Harman -12: After a shaky start with bogeys on two of the first four holes, Harman settled down to make four birdies and shoot under par, a 69 that gave him three straight rounds in the 60s. It was an impressive performance that followed two days in which he built the same big advantage he now keeps.
2nd, Cam Young -7: A rising player in the game, Young has yet to win on the PGA Tour but has shown flashes. He is the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and finished second by a shot to Cam Smith last year at St. Andrews. With a 5-under-par 66 on Saturday he snuck into the final group with Harman and has the ability to make things interesting.
3rd, Jon Rahm -6: His 63 set an Open record for Royal Liverpool and made things interesting when Harman slipped early on, briefly putting him just two back. But Harman got on track and Young passed Rahm to knock him out of the final group. Does he have another low round in him? He was 10 back to start and closed the gap to six. He needs another low one—Rahm is certainly capable—and some help to become the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win two majors in the same year.
T4, Viktor Hovland -5: A frequent lurker in majors of late, Hovland quietly worked his way into the top 5 with a 67. He was in the final group a year ago at the Open and was in contention this year at the Masters and PGA Championship. Perhaps he’s due for a final-round low one that steals the tournament.
T4, Tommy Fleetwood -5: It was a disappointing day for Fleetwood, who had the home support on his side, got an early birdie and then didn’t make another. He needed to put some pressure on Harman and close the gap. Instead, he’s seven back with a lot of others in the way, too.
T4, Jason Day -5: The 2015 PGA champ who won earlier this year at the Byron Nelson made a nice early run, getting to 6 under par through nine holes and within striking distance. But he made nothing happen over the closing nine, severely diminishing his chances. It’ll take a low round and some help.
T11, Rory McIlroy -3: The day began with so much promise as McIlroy birdied two of the first three holes and three of the first five as Harman had some early struggles. You could envision a Rahm-type low 60s round to get him right in the mix. But he didn’t make another birdie and settled for a 69 that leaves him nine shots back. A ninth straight year will pass without a major championship, and it will be a long wait until the Masters.
There’s rain in the forecast for Sunday, but the weather reports have been about as reliable as McIlroy’s putting. It was supposed to rain all day Saturday, too, and that did not happen. Some wind and rain would make things interesting but there are no guarantees.
Will it be a Harman coronation? Possibly. Keep in mind, for as unlikely as a victory by him might seem, he is ranked 26th in the world and 29th SI World Golf Rankings, which is higher than Wyndham Clark was last month when he won the U.S. Open.