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Brian Harman is the winner of The Open Championship.
As we all let that sink in, it’s okay to think about how we got here – and what the 36-year-old Georgian has done better than anyone over the last four days at Royal Liverpool.
While Harman did a lot of good things all week, what’s the most obvious reason for carrying a claret decanter? put it.
Just take a look at the tweet below, which shows how dominant Harman was during this year’s Open—which includes finishing +2.85 strokes gained: the putt.
Harman is the only one to touch -9, -10, -11, -12, and -13.
Straka was the only one to touch an -8, and he held that number for two holes.
It’s just a truly legendary performance, and one of the biggest shocks (dominance wise) in recent memory in the majors.
– No LayingUp July 23, 2023
Oh, and then there’s this little nugget: Harman made a mind-boggling act 58 of 59 puts from 10 feet away. This is silly, and almost makes you wonder what kind of magic he has in that racket of his, because this is a far cry from standard accuracy.
For this season, Harman ranked 39th in strokes gained: Mode, but this statistic is a bit skewed, in my opinion. That’s because he ranks first at six-foot shots, which is where he clearly earned his run at Royal Liverpool.
While Harman has been consistent with the putter, he still strives for more consistency. He even admitted earlier this week that he almost gave up his racquet for a new one.
“There was a time in the middle of this year where we were seriously considering going to the mall and checking out something different,” Harman said Friday. “She was a good putter, but she’s been misbehaving a lot this year.”
After hanging onto his trusted steed and claiming his first major title, Harman was now more than happy to share the secret to his master touch at champion level.
Brian Harman put a secret
Ahead of Sunday’s final round at Royal Liverpool, Harman was asked about his secret. He was reluctant to reveal too much, but Sunday night was more than happy to share the coaching aid that helped him escape competition – something every amateur could benefit from, too.
“Yeah, I found this one — it’s a silly mirror where you get a little better editing style,” Harman said.
Why need help?
“I was just kind of cutting my lickers too much,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time just feeling the ball, I almost hit like a kid tied a putter, and it’s been really good in the last month or so.”
As for where Harman got the mode assist (Available online), he said it was something he had had for a while, but it wasn’t something he used regularly.
“I’ve picked it up on putting green in some tournaments over the years,” he said. “There are all kinds of different trinkets and things through on Wednesdays, so I saw it, I loved it. I didn’t really lay well this year until the last month or so, but I found it in my barn at home and it made sense, and I started to get on with it pretty well.”
If you also need help with your greens (like almost every golfer), it might be worth taking Harman’s recommendation and seeing if a mirror can help you groove your stroke and hit more putts.
Hey, if it works out for the Champion Golfer of the Year…