“Tiger picked this place apart like a surgeon in 2006 and Brian Harman did the same thing. In the power era, it’s refreshing to see accuracy matter.” – Paul Azinger
“Practically flawless. This is certainly going to go down as one of the dominant performances.” – John Wood on Brian Harman
“This has been a familiar scene for Rory McIlroy at major championships. This has become a long, arduous march.” – Dan Hicks
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 23, 2023 – NBC Sports presented exclusive final-round coverage of the 151st Open Championship from Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, across NBC, Peacock and USA Network, capped by Live From the Open studio coverage on GOLF Channel and Peacock.
Brian Harman (-13) captured his first major title with a final-round 70, defeating four players by six shots to become the first American to win his first major at the Open Championship since Stewart Cink in 2009.
151st Open Championship – Final Leaderboard
| Player | Total |
| Brian Harman | -13 |
| Jason Day | -7 |
| Tom Kim | -7 |
| Sepp Straka | -7 |
| Jon Rahm | -7 |
| Rory McIlroy | -6 |
| Emiliano Grillo | -6 |
ON BRIAN HARMAN (-13, Champion)
Paul Azinger: “Tiger picked this place apart like a surgeon in 2006 and Brian Harman did the same thing. Tiger did it with his irons and Harman did it with a variety of different clubs…in the power era, it’s refreshing to see accuracy matter.”
Azinger: “Nobody could make a run at him. The conditions were just too tough.”
Azinger on Harman’s play: “Precision this week has beaten power…He stayed away from all the bad misses. He’s been magical around the greens.”
Dan Hicks: “Harman makes his history at Royal Liverpool!”
John Wood: “Practically flawless…it might get more talk if his name was Rahm or Scheffler, but this is certainly going to go down as one of the dominant performances…you have got to give all the credit to Harman. He’s really maintained that lead and made the big shots when he’s had to.”
Wood on the 17th hole: “The crowd has really turned in his favor over the last few holes, it has been nice to see. Warm receptions up to every green. They’re finally realizing what a performance this has been.”
Hicks after Harman’s birdie on the 14th hole: “I just texted with his wife Kelly, who’s not one of those wives who watches every single shot. She’s in the Syracuse, N.Y., area with her family and the three kids. She said they just got back from a four-mile walk. I said, ‘Have you been peeking into the coverage?’ She said, ‘Yeah, just a little bit.’”
Azinger after Harman’s birdie on the 15th hole: “We said how important it was this week to stay out of the bunkers this week. He’s been in only one this week, the fewest in the field.”
Azinger on Harman’s birdie on 6th hole after a bogey on 5th hole: “How impressive is that? He just took a punch in the gut and he came back with this one…statistically, especially this week, the best putter on this board right now by a wide margin.”
Azinger on Harman’s mentality: “Bernhard Langer said the secret to golf is not to let your mind wander out front. That’s been Brian Harman’s challenge. It won him the championship this week.”
Brad Faxon on Live From the Open: “How many players have played this game for an entire career waiting for a magical weekend? …(Harman) had his week. Who knows, maybe the stars line up again. Precision was more important this week.”
Brandel Chamblee on Harman’s keys to success on Live From the Open: “There were a couple of things that were obviously hugely important this week: the combination of him staying out of those pot bunkers and making the putts.”
ON RORY MCILROY (-6, T-6th)
Hicks: “This has been a familiar scene for Rory McIlroy at major championships since he won his last one in 2014 – coming up short, but close…agonizingly close. Nine consecutive seasons without a major win…this has become a long, arduous march.”
Azinger: “Never saw this coming. When he won his fourth major, it looked like the sky was the limit, he might win nine or 10.”
ON TOMMY FLEETWOOD (-6, T-6th)
Azinger on Tommy Fleetwood: “Tommy has to ask himself, ‘What’s going on here?’ Nothing this weekend has gone well. You can’t win these championships unless you putt on the weekends.”
Hicks: There was so much hope for Tommy this week, putting himself in position after the first two rounds…he just wasn’t able to finish it off here.”
ON SEPP STRAKA (-7, T-2nd)
Smylie Kaufman: “I think he’s played his way onto the European Ryder Cup team this week.”
ON MATTHEW JORDAN (-4, T-10th)
Azinger on Jordan’s performance at his home club: “How many golfers get to say they lived a dream? A dream come true for sure.”
ON WEATHER CONDITIONS
Mike Tirico: “It’s miserable out there – and that’s an understatement.”
Nick Faldo: “A thick blanket of rain.”
Faldo on caddies handling the weather: “You have to be like an octopus today with the bag, the umbrella, the towel.”
Tirico on Brian Harman’s setup with gloves and towels under his umbrella: “Brian Harman looks like he’s got a little pro shop in there.”
Tirico on the players’ reactions to the weather conditions: “After a day in the rain, when things haven’t gone your way, you see a lot of wry reactions from the players as putts just go over the edge.”
--NBC SPORTS--
