Brian Harman is the oldest first-time major winner in the men’s game since Sergio Garcia won the 2017 Masters at age 37. JustinRayGolf with analysis on Harman's dominant win at The 151st Open Championship.
At 36, Harman is the oldest first-time major winner in the men’s game since Sergio Garcia won the 2017 Masters at age 37. The Open continues to be the most hospitable of the four men’s majors to veteran players: of the 13 major winners since 2010 age 36 or older, nearly half have been at this event. It’s also the major championship least influenced by driving distance. Since 2015, the average distance rank for Open winners the week of their victory is 39.9 .
The collection of left-handed players to win men’s major championships is only slightly larger. Harman is the fifth lefty to win, joining Bob Charles, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson. Charles and Mickelson each won Opens, in 1963 and 2013.Four players finished tied for second place, tying the record for largest logjam at the runner-up position .
Austrian-born Sepp Straka was also part of the group six shy of Harman, his best result in 10 career major appearances. Like Harman, Straka played his college golf for the University of Georgia. This marks the second major this season in which the winner and a runner-up played for the same collegiate program: Jon Rahm and Mickelson pulled it off at the Masters. However, this is the first instance of it ever happening at The Open Championship.
After Saturday’s brilliant 63, Rahm made just three birdies Sunday to post a final-round 70. Still, Rahm’s charge up the leaderboard this weekend was an admirable reminder of what he is capable of. Rahm was tied for 89th place after the opening round . The furthest down the board any player has been after round one of a major and still won was tied for 84th, by Steve Jones at the 1996 U.S. Open.
McIlroy didn’t play poorly on the weekend – he, Kim and Day were the only three players to card rounds in the 60s both Saturday and Sunday. But hitting just 10 greens in regulation Friday left him nine shots back of Harman going to the weekend, a deficit too steep to climb without Harman slipping. The 2024 Masters will be the 36th major held since McIlroy last won one.
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