Friday feeling

Nobody does Fridays at The Open quite like Brian Harman.

On his way to becoming Champion Golfer of the Year in 2023, Harman set out in an early morning group and seized control with a six-under-par 65 in the second round.

Two years later, at Royal Portrush, he repeated the trick. And his dreams of joining an exclusive club of multiple Claret Jug winners are very much alive.

At Royal Liverpool, four birdies in the first five holes set Harman on his way.

This time, consecutive birdies at 1 and 2 laid the foundations for his Friday foray.

Those brought him level with the leaders and soon he was out on his own, another birdie at 7 ensuring he reached the turn in 33.

Three more followed down the stretch as Harman hit top gear. Just as was the case two years ago, his iron play was exceptional and his putter did the rest.

At the par-3 13th, he effortlessly rolled in a 15-footer for birdie before saving his best until last.

A masterful approach at 18 skipped eight feet past the flag and there was a sense of inevitability about the 38-year-old finding the centre of the cup.

Harman has not finished inside the top 20 of a major since his triumph at Royal Liverpool but there is something about the British and Irish seaside that brings out the best in the thinking man’s golfer.

“I love the golf over here. It suits me,” he said.

“Places like this force you to be a little bit more creative. I just enjoy the creativity and trying to think your way around. You can kind of do it your own way.

“I feel really comfortable over here. I'm comfortable driving it.

“They (Royal Portrush and Royal Liverpool) are very different golf courses, but the golf is similar. You've got to be able to flight your golf ball. You've got to know how far everything's going. Then you can't get frustrated.

“You're going to get bad breaks, you're going to end up in funny spots where it doesn't seem fair, and you just have to kind of outlast that stuff.”

Harman may not draw the crowds of some of his compatriots but he has become a specialist when it comes to conquering the elements.

His most recent win on the PGA Tour, the Valero Texas Open in April, came when temperatures were scarcely into double figures and it became, in his words, 'a game of attrition'.

And when he won The Open, it was a weekend of downpours on Merseyside. Harman was safely inside the clubhouse with the lead by the time the heavens opened in County Antrim on Friday afternoon but he is a man equipped with the game to cope should the elements turn against him as he plots for lightning to strike twice.

“I'll approach the weekend the same way,” Harman added - right down to seeking out a ‘big steak’ between rounds.

“The only thing I'm really worried about is the first tee ball tomorrow, and then I'll try to hit the next one up there close to the flag. If not, go to the second hole. It's a very boring approach that I take.

“I'm not trying to be heroic or do anything crazy. I know that I've got the game to do it, and it's just a matter of executing and staying in my own head.”

Things can change in an instant at The Open and Harman is not expecting the parallels with Royal Liverpool to continue indefinitely.

He led by five shots at this stage two years ago and maintained a comfortable advantage almost throughout but the leaderboard is more condensed this time around.

“I would love to have a similar weekend and just play great the whole way through,” he said.

“There's going to be challenges. This is a hard golf course. The pins have been in really, really tough spots, and you've really got to think your way around it.

“Inevitably you're going to mis-hit some shots and end up in spots you don't want to be in, and the way you handle that will determine the outcome.

“But any time you can get in contention, have a chance to win, that's what we've all worked for our entire lives. You don't get that many opportunities to do that.”

Another Friday 65. Another clubhouse lead. Another Claret Jug?