Brian Harman could not wipe the smile from his face as he was announced the winner of the FedEx St. Jude Championship 2023 Open Championship during his pre-tournament media conference in Memphis on Tuesday.
“I’ll say that it is better to be a major winner than not,” said who was named the Champion Golfer for the Year two weeks ago in England at Royal Liverpool. It’s been an incredible ride, man. The Claret Jug is right there on our kitchen counter. I’ve asked my wife to move it a few times and she’s said, “no, it won’t be moving, it will stay here.”
“I have caught myself looking at it and thinking, ‘Damn man, I can’t even believe this happened.'” I am very, very grateful. It was an amazing experience.
Harman could not pinpoint when the realization that he won his first major and for the first time since more than six years began to sink in.
He explained that “there’s different layers of it settling in.” “I went to visit my family and we rented a house on a lake. After a few days, I felt normal. Then I came home and had this overwhelming support, including a meet-and-greet at the Airport. It takes a couple of days for it to sink in. Yesterday, I came out to hit some balls and saw all my teammates for the first time. Everyone congratulated me. It will take a few more days for all of that to sink in.”
When asked to name a memorable moment, he recalled returning to his English rental home after a party with Claret Jug at a nearby pub on Sunday night. He and his agent Jeremy Elliott were due to be picked up at 3 a.m. to fly back to America.
“It is 1:30 and I ask him, “Do we go to sleep?” He replies, “No, we are not going to sleep.” “Are you crazy?” So, Harman asked, “it was just me and him, and we were drinking a cold beer in the Jug at 1:30 am. Man, this is so cool.”
After celebrating with his family in a lakehouse they rented upstate New York, he returned to his hometown, St. Simon’s Island in Georgia and was greeted as a hero at the airport . He then hopped onto his brand new tractor to put it to use on his farm.
The Champion Golfer has returned @HarmanBrian. He was welcomed home by friends and supporters when he arrived in Sea Island. pic.twitter.com/MmpMSY2q0d
— PGA TOUR July 28, 2020
He said that he had “mowed my place and probably partied too much”.
Harman was surprised when he arrived in Memphis, Tennessee on Monday. He had been expecting autograph seekers to wait for him to sign flags commemorating the event and other memorabilia. He knows it will take a little while for him to find a hole-in the-wall restaurant and eat alone, as he used to do when he was on the road. Harman is eager to return to the ring and continue his winning streak. He is ranked No. He is ranked No. 6 in the FedEx Cup and has the best chance of winning the season-long championship, which will be awarded in three weeks during the Tour Championship.
He said that he was hoping to be ready by Thursday.
