The Open Championship: Classy Brian Harman continues dominance on final day to claim first major title at Hoylake

Brian Harman of the United States held his nerve to claim a maiden major title at The Open, finishing a masterful week at Hoylake with a six-stroke victory.

Miserable weather including persistent heavy rain made for challenging conditions in the final round, but Harman showed his class once again to clinch the Claret Jug.

“I’ve got thank my wife and family back home, I can’t wait to get back to them tomorrow,” Harman said. “First I’m going to have me a couple of pints out of this trophy, I believe!”

It marks the first major win of the 36-year-old’s career, with his previous-best finish being second place at the US Open in 2017.

On that occasion, Harman held the 54-hole lead only to let it slip on the final day and finish four strokes behind champion Brooks Koepka.

But the American banished those memories by overcoming a nervy start to find his groove on the greens once again and card a round of 70 to finish on 13-under.

“This golf course was a real test,” Harman added. “It was set up so great even with the weather, so to all the superintendents and everyone that helped put it together, thank you so much.

“I want to thank the R&A for putting together such an incredible championship. I couldn’t be happier to be its champion and to all the fans, to all the nice words and all the people back home who were rooting me, I appreciate it so much.”

A group of four – Masters champion Jon Rahm, Austria’s Sepp Straka, Tom Kim of South Korea and Australian Jason Day – were the best of the rest on seven-under.

But there was to be no home-based hero for the sodden supporters.

Rory McIlroy finished a frustrating week with his best round of 68 to finish joint-sixth on six-under alongside Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo.

The Northern Irishman, fancied by many to end a nine-year major drought at Royal Liverpool, made a flying start with three birdies in a row in the first five holes but then faltered in the back nine to stall his charge.

“I got off to the ideal start,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “That’s been what I’ve basically done every day. Big putt on three and then followed that up with a couple of well-played holes on four and five.

“It’s hard to keep it going, the conditions are pretty difficult and tricky. You can make a few birdies here and there but’s it’s very hard to shoot seven or eight-under like I needed today to try to make a charge.”

The challenge of local favourite Tommy Fleetwood, who started the day at five-under, fell apart as he squandered several birdie chances to eventually finish tied for 10th on four-under.

Harman’s closest challengers going into Sunday were Cameron Young and Rahm, but neither was able to close the gap.

The American’s putter went cold as he hit four bogies to two birdies to fall to joint-eighth alongside Shubhankar Sharma of India on five-under.

Nobody was close to matching the class and consistency of Harman, although some questions were raised about a potential collapse when he bogied two of the first five holes.

But the American responded brilliantly with back-to-back birdies on six and seven, before more outstanding putting gave him two more in a row on 14 and 15 to restore a five-stroke lead to roars from the crowd.

It was a remarkable display of composure from a player who had only previously finished in the top 10 at a major twice: at the 2017 US Open and when he was tied for sixth at The Open last year.

• -12: Brian Harman
• -7: Tom Kim, Sepp Straka, Jason Day, Jon Rahm
• -6: Rory McIlroy, Emiliano Grillo
• -5: Shubhankar Sharma, Cameron Young
• -4: Max Homa, Matthew Jordan, Tommy Fleetwood