Brian Harman

Brian Harman has already admitted this week that when the pressure mounts, his head can start to spin. 

So when his lead at The 151st Open started to evaporate, it would have been very easy for the wheels to come off. 

But despite two early bogeys, the 36-year-old recovered his poise and worked his way back into a commanding position with 18 holes remaining at Royal Liverpool. 

Sitting 12-under-par, Harman is five shots clear of 2022 runner-up Cameron Young, finishing his round of 69 by making a testing putt for par on the 18th to complete an impressive turnaround as his patience paid off. 

“The start was tough,” he admitted.  

“I hit a couple loose shots. It was nice to turn around and have a nice back nine. 

“It would have been really easy to let the wheels start spinning and really kind of let it get out of control, but I just kind of doubled down on my routine and knew I was hitting it well, even though I hadn't hit any good shots yet. 

“Staying patient out there is paramount. Sometimes it's a lot harder than others. But I’m really proud of the way that I hung in there.” 

Harman’s putting was the reason he had the joint biggest lead at an Open for 89 years after 36 holes, but even as he did not reach his own very high standards on the greens, he was still able to hold the field at bay at Hoylake.

That means a lead at a major going into Sunday for the second time in his career, six years after he led the US Open by a stroke.

On that occasion, he was quickly overhauled by Brooks Koepka, shooting 72 for second place, but this is an altogether different scenario.

The plan will be to get the head down and try to get a good night’s sleep – which corresponds to 10 hours for the Georgia native – as well as trying not to get carried away with thoughts of lifting the Claret Jug.

“You'd be foolish not to envision (lifting the trophy), and I've thought about winning majors for my whole entire life,” he said.

“It's the whole reason I work as hard as I do and why I practise as much as I do and why I sacrifice as much as I do.

“Tomorrow if that's going to come to fruition for me, it has to be all about the golf. It has to be execution and just staying in the moment.”