Brian Harman snares Open lead with strong short game, putting - ESPN

HOYLAKE, England — A British tabloid dubbed Brian Harman «Brian the Butcher» because of his fondness for hunting and eating wild game.

But it was the American golfer's deft short game and putting prowess that helped him match his best round in a major Friday and take a 5-stroke lead into the final 36 holes of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Harman, the 26th-ranked player in the world, carded birdies on four straight holes on the front nine and closed with an eagle on the par-5 18th to post a 6-under 65 in the second round. His 36-hole total of 10-under 132 matches those of the previous two Open winners at Royal Liverpool, Tiger Woods in 2006 and Rory McIlroy in 2014.

«I've had a hot putter the last couple days, so try to ride it through the weekend,» Harman said. «Thirty-six holes to go, so try to rest up and get ready. Delighted with how I'm playing. Just really focused on getting some rest and getting after it tomorrow.»

On a day when Harman went low, the links course wasn't easy for everyone. England's Tommy Fleetwood is the only player within 5 strokes of Harman at 5 under. Austria's Sepp Straka, a former University of Georgia player like Harman, is 4 under. Australia's Min Woo Lee and Jason Day and India's Shubhankar Sharma are 3 under.

Fleetwood, who is seeking to win his first major, figures to have the most support from fans on the weekend. He grew up in Southport, about 30 miles from Royal Liverpool.

«Brian had two amazing days,» Fleetwood said. «He's a long way in front. Of course, there's a long way to go, but still, for myself and everybody else playing, it's just do your thing, play one shot at a time. We don't know what the conditions are going to bring, and you just have to keep