Brian Harman wants to honor Lucas Glover’s name.
Two weeks ago, Glover, 43, was outside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings and Official World Golf Ranking. But after becoming the third-oldest player in PGA Tour history to win back-to-back events, which he did over the past two weeks at the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship, Glover rose to fourth in the FedExCup and No. 30 in the world.
“If you had told me this three months ago, I would have told you you were crazy,” Glover said afterward.
Considering he’s only won one game since 2011, Glover isn’t the only one surprised by his recent heater, sparked by switching to a broomstick putter in June after a decade of battling the putting yips.
However, Harman, 36, who won the Open Championship last month for his first major win, passionately believes this is the player Glover has always been.
Scores across the field from the BMW Championship
“I read an article the other day that really upset me,” Harman said after Day 1 of the BMW Championship where he was co-leader. “It calls Lucas Glover a journeyman traveler Lucas Gloverand I thought, what a funny thing to say. This guy did I don’t know how many Tour Championships, won the (2009) US Open. He’s won six or seven times now. Lucas Glover is a world beater.”
Asked who the reporter was, Harman replied: “It doesn’t matter because that opinion is reasonable – that confuses me.”
Glover will play in his fifth Tour Championship next week and has six Tour wins. Topping off his resume in just two weeks, however, made Harman very emotional – and also reminded him of the popular film Shawshank Redemption.
“To go through what (Glover) went through with his putter and come out the other side, I think like Andy Dufresne, calling the river and coming out the other side clean (from the film),” Harman said. . “I’m so proud of him, I’m so happy for him. Gosh, my wife and I watched him win at Wyndham and we both cried watching it, and to follow it up next week, it’s great . . .
Why is Harman crying?
“I know what it means to Lucas. I know what it means to his kids. You see his daughter there and she’s just crying her eyes out. It was a beautiful scene- look.
“I think we all – we all struggle from time to time, and Lucas with the putter, he struggles. It’s like – he’s talking about putting the left hand.
“I remember when I first moved to St. Simons, we were going out and playing golf, and I hadn’t had a Tour card in a while and I was like, I don’t know what I am. He beat this guy. He’s so good. He’s got such good hands. He puts them really well. So he goes through that, and like I said, coming out the other side is unreal.”
Harman, who turned pro in ’09, might have been considered a journeyman before his big win at Royal Liverpool. Now, though, he’s a major champion — along with Glover.
However, despite claiming the honor, Harman revealed on Thursday that fewer tears ran down his face after The Open than watching Glover.