2 weeks ago
Brian Harman is looking guardant to nan "refreshing" situation of returning to links play erstwhile he defends his Open Championship title astatine Royal Troon successful July, contempt admitting he initially "hated" it.
The American is not connected his own.
A big of legendary players, including five-time Open champion Tom Watson, did not instantly autumn successful emotion pinch nan coastal courses that are often buffeted by beardown winds, characteristic penal bunkers and propulsion up erratic bounces.
The American said he is yet to sojourn Troon, nan Ayrshire people that will this twelvemonth big its 10th Open, and jokingly asked nan assembled media for "any tips".
One offered "stay retired of nan bunkers", not that Harman will request reminding, fixed he was peculiarly adept astatine avoiding soil erstwhile winning by six shots astatine Royal Liverpool past year, only going successful 2 traps each week.
However, he did callback his chastening links play baptism astatine neighbouring Prestwick, which hosted nan inaugural Open successful 1860.
"The first clip I played links play I hated it - it ate maine to pieces,” said nan 37-year-old, who mislaid each 4 of his matches arsenic Europe thrashed nan United States successful nan 2006 Palmer Cup.
“I kept trying to deed lob wedges astir nan greens and nan upwind was bad. I sewage whipped, mislaid each of my matches."
Harman did not return to links play until making his Open Championship debut successful 2014 astatine Royal Liverpool and said it was past that he "just perfectly fell successful emotion pinch it".
"I had a agelong wherever I missed 4 cuts successful a statement astatine The Open and conscionable couldn't rather get it figured retired but I knew that I really enjoyed nan play moreover erstwhile I wasn't playing great," he added.
"It's a thinking-man's game. You person to beryllium capable to deed each azygous type of play shot.
"There are tons of different ways to beryllium successful and that’s thing that’s lacking successful our crippled week to week and I wish we had a small spot much of it.
"It's refreshing to play difficult play that's not conscionable a one-stop shop."
When Harman won astatine Royal Liverpool, he said he suffered "unrepeatable" maltreatment during nan 3rd round, erstwhile he was playing pinch England's Tommy Fleetwood, who was calved conscionable up nan seashore successful Southport.
He was besides booed connected nan first tee arsenic he started his last round, though later said that made him much wished to win.
However, nan 3rd left-hander to triumph nan Claret Jug aft Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson said he recovered nan mostly of fans astatine The Open "knowledgeable" and a "joy to play successful beforehand of".
"Do I expect hostility? I person nary idea," he said. "I'll beryllium fresh for whatever. I've ever really enjoyed playing play successful beforehand of nan fans complete location because they understand what a bully changeable is. They understand what a bad changeable is. They get it."
There will beryllium 10,000 less fans astatine Royal Troon than nan 260,000 that were astatine nan Wirral Peninsula people past year. But nan 250,000 sell-out for nan 152nd Championship - up 70,000 from erstwhile it past hosted successful 2016 - will beryllium a grounds for an Open staged successful Scotland extracurricular of St Andrews.
