Defending Champion Brian Harman says he would play in The British Open even if there was no prize money

Brian Harman returns the Claret Jug in advance of the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon

Not long after the R&A announced the prize fund for the 2024 British Open Championship would increase by $500,000 on last year’s purse, 2023 champion Brian Harman arrived at Royal Troon to hand back the Claret Jug.

During his press conference, Harman was asked if he would still play in The British Open Championship, even if there was no prize fund.

“Yeah, I would personally. I’m not sure everyone would, but I would. Some people care more about money than I do, I suppose. I play golf for me. I play golf to see how good I can get at golf. I play golf because I enjoy torturing myself with things that are really hard to do. That’s just me.”

Speaking about his year as Open Champion, Brian Harman explained he has been working on his game to get it to a point where he feels able to contend not only at Royal Troon this year, but at other major tournaments further down the road.

There’s lots of talk of ‘windows’ this week, with players needing to keep the ball within certain trajectories. “That’s what makes this my favorite major to play in because that’s still a skill that I think is very important and sometimes gets lost in some other places.”

When asked what he thought about the bunkers at Royal Troon, Harman said he hadn’t seen the course yet, and had his first practice round planned for Monday afternoon.

Harman also shared his surprise at fellow American Keegan Bradley being named 2025 Ryder Cup Captain for team USA. “I shared everyone’s surprise that he was named, but as far as tenacity, I don’t know if anyone loves the Ryder Cup as much as Keegan does. I think he’ll be a fantastic captain. The players are going to mirror the enthusiasm of their captain, and he won’t be lacking for any in that regard. I think he’ll do great.”

He also discussed the changes that happen after winning a major for the first time, and becoming a bit more recognisable to the public, “I can’t imagine being Rory. Rory would have trouble going out to eat somewhere.” Harman doesn’t have that problem just yet, but he did explain that it can sometimes be hard to escape the spotlight, with the most difficult adjustment being not having enough time to yourself.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.

About the author

Sarah Pyett – Deputy Digital Editor

Sarah Pyett is the Deputy Digital Editor of todays-golfer.com. She specializes in ladies’ equipment reviews, including drivers, irons, and golf balls.

After a career in a golf professional shop, and earning a qualification in golf club management, Sarah joined Bauer in 2014 as a Web Producer for Today’s Golfer. She has since worked across multiple brands in a mixture of digital marketing and paid media roles, before returning to focus on golf full-time as Deputy Digital Editor in 2024.