Brian Harman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brian Harman
Harman in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Brian Eric Harman
Nickname	The Butcher
Born	(1987-01-19) January 19, 1987 (age 38) Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)
Residence	St. Simons, Georgia, U.S.
Spouse	Kelly Van Slyke ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	3
Career
College	University of Georgia
Turned professional	2009
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour
Former tour(s)	eGolf Professional Tour
Professional wins	5
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	3
European Tour	1
Other	2
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 1)
The Masters Tournament	T12: 2021
U.S. Open	T2: 2017
The Open Championship	Won: 2023
PGA Championship	T13: 2017

Brian Eric Harman (born January 19, 1987) is an American professional golfer. He comes from Savannah, Georgia. Brian plays on the PGA Tour, which is a major golf tour. He has won three tournaments on this tour. One of his biggest wins was a major championship, the 2023 Open Championship. He also finished second at the 2017 U.S. Open. Brian plays golf left-handed.

Becoming a Golfer: Brian's Amateur Career

Brian Harman was a talented golfer even before he turned professional. He played for the University of Georgia golf team. While in college, he was named a 2nd Team All-American three times. This means he was one of the best college golfers in the country.

He won several important college tournaments. These included the 2005 NCAA Preview and the 2006 Isleworth Invitational. Brian also earned an award three times for having the highest grades on his team.

As a young golfer, Brian won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2003. This is a big tournament for young players. He also won the Players Amateur in 2005. In 2007, he won the Porter Cup. He set a new record there by shooting 22 strokes under par.

Brian was chosen to play on special teams for the United States. He played on the winning Walker Cup teams in 2005 and 2009. He was also on the winning 2007 Palmer Cup team. When he first played in the Walker Cup in 2005, he was the youngest player ever on the team.

Brian Harman's Professional Golf Journey

Harman playing at the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Brian Harman became a professional golfer in 2009. In 2010, he played mostly on the eGolf Professional Tour. He did very well, finishing in the top 10 in 11 out of 14 tournaments. He earned his first professional win at the Manor Classic. He won that tournament by three shots.

In 2012, Brian had a unique situation at The Players Championship. He was a backup player, meaning he would only play if someone else dropped out. Just minutes before his tee time, another golfer withdrew. Brian was allowed to start the first round by himself! He later joined other players and even made the cut, finishing tied for 51st place.

Brian played in his first major tournament, the U.S. Open, in 2012. His first big win on the PGA Tour came in 2014. He won the John Deere Classic. In 2015, he almost won the Travelers Championship. He was leading after three rounds but finished just one shot out of the playoff.

On August 30, 2015, Brian did something amazing. He made two holes-in-one in the same round at The Barclays tournament. This is very rare and has only happened a few times in PGA Tour history! A hole-in-one, also called an "ace," is when a golfer hits the ball directly into the hole from the tee.

On May 7, 2017, Brian won his second PGA Tour event. This was the Wells Fargo Championship. He won by making a long 28-foot putt on the final hole. He beat two other top golfers by just one stroke.

Later in 2017, Brian led the U.S. Open after three rounds. This was the first time he was in the final group of a major tournament on the last day. He finished tied for second place, four shots behind the winner.

In 2022, Brian had two strong finishes. He came in second at the World Wide Technology Championship. He also tied for second at the RSM Classic. These were his best results in over five years.

Winning a Major Championship

In July 2023, Brian Harman achieved his biggest dream. He won The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. This is one of golf's four major championships. He won by a huge six-stroke lead! This made him only the third left-handed golfer to win The Open.

Brian took control of the tournament in the second round. He shot a score of 65, which was much better than most other players that day. He kept a five-shot lead going into the final round. His win was a bit of a surprise to many, as he had 125-to-1 odds to win.

Playing for Team USA

In September 2023, Brian was chosen to play for the U.S. team in the 2023 Ryder Cup. This is a special team competition between the United States and Europe. The European team won that year. Brian also played on the winning U.S. team in the Presidents Cup in 2024.

Brian's Life Outside Golf

Brian Harman is married to Kelly Van Slyke. They got married on December 13, 2014. They have three children together. The family lives in St. Simons Island, Georgia. When Brian isn't playing golf, he enjoys hunting.

Amateur Wins

• 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur
• 2005 Players Amateur, Georgia Amateur
• 2007 Porter Cup
• 2009 Dogwood Invitational

Professional Wins (5)

PGA Tour Wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jul 13, 2014	John Deere Classic	63-68-65-66=262	−22	1 stroke	Zach Johnson
2	May 7, 2017	Wells Fargo Championship	71-69-70-68=278	−10	1 stroke	Dustin Johnson, Pat Perez
3	Jul 23, 2023	The Open Championship	67-65-69-70=271	−13	6 strokes	Jason Day, Tom Kim, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka

eGolf Professional Tour Wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	Sep 11, 2010	Manor Classic	69-65-70-68=272	−12	3 strokes	Jason Kokrak, Drew Weaver

Other Wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	Dec 9, 2018	QBE Shootout (with Patton Kizzire)	59-66-61=186	−30	1 stroke	Emiliano Grillo and Graeme McDowell

Major Championships: Brian's Best Results

Brian Harman has played in many major championships. His biggest win was The Open Championship in 2023. He also had a great finish at the U.S. Open in 2017, where he came in second place.

Major Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runners-up
2023	The Open Championship	5 shot lead	−13 (67-65-69-70=271)	6 strokes	Jason Day, Tom Kim, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka

Summary of Major Championship Results

Brian has played in 34 major championship events. He has made the cut in 20 of them. He has one win, one second-place finish, and has finished in the top 10 three times.

• Most consecutive cuts made – 3 (three times)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times)

Brian's Performance at The Players Championship

The Players Championship is another very important golf tournament. Brian has had some strong finishes here. He tied for 8th place in both 2015 and 2019. His best result was tying for 3rd place in 2021. In 2024, he tied for 2nd place.      Top 10 CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Brian's Results in World Golf Championships

The World Golf Championships (WGC) are a series of important tournaments. Brian has played in several of these. His best finish was tying for 5th place at the WGC-Championship in 2018. He also reached the Quarterfinals of the WGC-Match Play in 2021. He tied for 8th place at the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2017.      Top 10      Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament

Playing for the U.S. National Team

Brian Harman has proudly represented the United States in several team golf events.

As an Amateur

• Walker Cup: He was part of the winning teams in 2005 and 2009.
• Palmer Cup: He played in 2006 and was on the winning team in 2007.

As a Professional

• Ryder Cup: He played for the U.S. team in the 2023 event.
• Presidents Cup: He was on the winning U.S. team in the 2024 event.