TROON, Scotland — His wife’s “Brian the Butcher” party, drinking fine wine and “unusually exceptional” bourbon out of the Claret Jug at Augusta National with Kevin Kisner and bringing the famed silver trophy on the field during halftime of a University of Georgia game are behind Brian Harman, and on Monday, he had to return custody of the Claret Jug to the R&A’s CEO Martin Slumbers.
“It’s been a great year,” he said during his pre-championship press conference on Monday ahead of the 2024 British Open , joking that he practiced getting out of his car one time for the ceremonial trophy return captured for posterity on video. “Yeah, a little sad to give it back, but I’ll remember everywhere it’s been forever… In my opinion, it’s the coolest trophy in all of sports. So I think it’s deserving of all of the pageantry that is involved with it.”
Harman won the title on the back of a blistering first 36 holes at Royal Liverpool in England, building a five-stroke edge and coasting to victory. He did so despite playing in a hostile environment that was rooting quite vociferously either for the home favorite, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, or the ever-popular Rory McIlroy.
“You know, I’d be lying if I didn’t hear some things that weren’t super nice today toward me,” Harman said at the time, adding, “If they wanted me to not play well they should have been really nice to me.”
Harman played it smart on Monday, saying there are no hard feelings and he praised the British Open fans.
“It doesn’t bother me. I’m ready to take whatever in stride. I’m here to play the best golf that I possibly can. That’s my main focus,” he said. “I’ve always loved the fans over here. I’ve spoken a bunch of times about how I find them the most knowledgeable fans of any that we play in front of. I kind of chalk last year up as more of an anomaly than anything else.”
Winning the Claret Jug remains the crowning achievement of the three-time PGA Tour-winning 37-year-old lefthanders career. The magnitude of what his victory meant sunk in one winter day at his farm in Georgia while he was riding on his four-wheeler.
“I just kind of like had a moment where it’s just me. It’s cold, and it was just like I was so happy that I was there,” he said. “It’s like, this is just really nice. It’s nice to be the Open champion and still be doing the same thing that I would have been doing otherwise.”
Harman is winless since becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year. He has made 16 cuts in his 18 starts this season, with a season-best T-2 at the Players Championship. But he missed the cut at the Masters after opening with 81 and has just one top-10 since April, a T-9 at the Travelers Championship last month.
“My stats this year have been really good. My ball striking has been as good as it’s ever been,” he said when asked to rate his current form. “The only thing I haven’t done well this year is I haven’t putted especially well. So I’m just kind of waiting for it all to line up correctly.”
Harman, who enters the week at No. 13 in the Official World Golf Ranking, will attempt to become the first player to defend his Open title since Padraig Harrington turned the trick in 2007-08. The pressure to defend is there but Harman also said there are benefits to knowing he’s been there, done that and it could come in handy next time he gets in the trophy hunt for another major title.
“I think it would probably add a little bit of pressure, but I don’t think you ever really know what you’re capable of until something like that happens,” Harman said. “At least now I know that if things go my way, I’m well prepared. I’m a tough guy to beat, and if I just prepare the proper way, then take care of what I can do, then I’ll give myself the best opportunity to have another chance.”
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