Brian Harman (Savannah, 1987) has the hardest part left, not getting dizzy and finishing the job. If he manages to do it, if he manages to hug the Claret Jug on Sunday on Royal Liverpool’s 18th green, the round he completed this Friday will bring him even closer to the altars. Halfway through the 151st edition of the world’s oldest tournament, the American dominates the standings with an iron fist after a second day in which he floated above good and evil while all his rivals suffered from Hoylake’s claws.
It was a performance, that of Harman, a right-handed player who plays left-handed in the Rafa Nadal style, truly memorable, far above all others. A 65, six under par, which has even more merit after having started in the first games, with the sun still crouching behind the clouds and with the cold the order of the day, hats and jackets included. Nothing to do with the following hours, with a climate as benevolent as that of the first day.
But nothing seemed to worry Harman, a true PGA Tour veteran who hasn’t tasted a victory in seven years, consolidating a spectacular round with an eagle on the last hole to sign a bogey-free card. He didn’t either at 12, when he sent himself into the bunker and was forced to drive the ball back. He then brought her closer to the green and hit the approach. like it’s easy
Such was Harman’s exhibition that the fate of this British Open seems only in his hands. If he is not wrong, it will be almost impossible for him to lose it, although in a major anything can happen and the pressure is incredible. But after just two days he already dominates the tournament with a 5 shot advantage over the second classified, a real outrage. Because Royal Liverpool continued to do his thing and his 65 shots were the best round of the day without discussion. Only Ryan Fox, Sepp Straka and Jason Day (67) came close.
Harman will share the last game of the day this Saturday with Tommy Fleetwood, who fought as best he could to maintain his -5 and confirm himself as the main alternative to the leader, although still a long way away. Three birdies on the second round allowed the Englishman to erase the bogeys from him. Grand Slam champions like Day (-3) or Spieth (-2) can also be alternatives if darkness invades the leader.
As far as the Spanish are concerned, there is not much to put in their mouths. Rahm threatened several times to get back into the fight but he never got off the ground, and he ended up narrowly missing the cut. The best is still Otaegui, who after surprising his debut, slowed down a bit with his 73 but remained in the top ten. No other Spaniard made the cut.
