Page 17 - Golf Champion Magazine - Korean English

the 7th, it was clear that there was no crumble in sight.
When Harman bogeyed 13, an uncharacteristic, simple
miss, there was just enough time for the nerves to kick back
in. Once again, the response was immediate – a birdie from
40 feet on 14 putting to bed any fears of a sting in the tail. He
backed that up with another birdie to push his lead back to
five.
That lead ended at six and that ability to bounce back from
adversity appeared to play on the chasing pack. Birdie oppor-
tunities slipped by and the lead just would not close.
Those who were playing good enough golf to put pressure
on Harman were too far back. Tom Kim, somehow hobbling
around despite suffering a grade one tear in his ankle after a
Tom Kim slip on Thursday night, was the pick of them.
Not only that, 2017 was also the last time he tasted victory, The South Korean birdied 4 and then eagled 5, adding
winning the Wells Fargo Championship. Harman was among three more birdies for a brilliant 67 to finish seven-under and
the most consistent players on tour, with almost no flaws to tied for second. But starting the day three-under, before bo-
his game. But silverware just kept eluding him. geys on 1 and 2, effectively put him out of contention without
So even after a perfect Friday, when the putter worked like a Harman collapse.
a dream and everything within 30 feet seemed to drop, the
idea that he would see it through without a
wobble seemed fanciful.
He did wobble but only a little, and most
importantly, rediscovered his rhythm at the
opportune moment each time.
When two-time major winner Jon Rahm low-
ered the Royal Liverpool record to 63 on
Saturday, Harman was just stepping onto
the 1st tee.
Two bogeys in four holes later and his
lead was just two strokes. That was the first
big test, and he came through it in style
with a birdie on 5, adding three more in a 69
that pushed that advantage back to five.
On Championship Sunday, it was a similar
story. A bogey on the 2nd was followed by
another on 5, the easiest hole on the course
this week.
What's more, where Rahm had somehow
found an opening in a huge cluster of gorse
bushes on the 5th, Harman’s luck had ap-
parently turned when he put the ball in the
bush on the same hole without the fortu-
nate lie – yet another mental test.
Instead, the Claret Jug was effectively
secured over the next two holes. A fine
approach on 6 gave him a 15-footer for
birdie. The relief was palpable when that
dropped, and when he sunk another from 25 feet on

GOLF champion | 15