The audience waited in the rain for drama in vain. Harman outshined elite players to win the Open

The large and drenched audience at the Royal Liverpool in England waited in vain for drama on Sunday. Iron Man Brian Harman worked like a well-oiled machine, practically holding the lead from Friday. Despite the accompaniment of extremely difficult weather conditions, he eventually strode to a sensational triumph at The Open.

It was more of a sprightly ride than a tough battle for the title. Thirty-six-year-old American Brian Harman took the lead during the second round. However, it was a question of whether he could defy players who had already won many victories on the tough links course in difficult conditions.

Only, what worked for Harman on the course near Liverpool didn’t work for the others. Throughout the final round, several players tried to put pressure on the tournament leader, but to no avail. Either their hopes were dashed in the tall grass or on the soggy green.

Even before Sunday’s start, there was talk that if anyone could take the triumph from Harman, it would be Harman himself. But the American golfer didn’t shy away from the big opportunity. He concentrated fully on his game, and it bore fruit.

He made two bogeys early in the third and fourth rounds, but he quickly managed to regain his composure and put a dent in his pursuers. In the end, he won by a commanding six shots.

The stars went out in the rain

One of the biggest favourites, Rory McIlroy, is a world-class extraterrestrial, but he will wait until at least next season, which will be 10 years, to win a major title! World number one Scottie Scheffler didn’t even make the top 20. Many players who were expected to make a significant impact on the tournament were burned.

So did last year’s champion Cameron Smith and Jordan Spieth. Stars like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson didn’t even make it through to the weekend rounds. A tricky course full of pitfalls completely shattered all the experts’ assumptions. Jon Rahm was the only one of the favorites to hold on, and he still finished six shots behind the winner.

It was a very strange Open. The tough conditions gave a reminder of what this magical game looked like in its early days. This too is a surviving element of one of the oldest tournaments played on the European continent.

At the same time, it could be said that Harman’s spirited ride was (apart from the rain) the only black mark of the tournament. It’s always spectator-attractive when players tussle for victory until the last hole. In F1 terminology, you could say that Harman took the lead on lap 20 and sovereignly held his lead to the finish.

Source: The Open