3 Players Who Can Catch Brian Harman at the British Open

Brian Harman will hold a five shot lead when he tees off in Round 3 at the Open Championship.
July 20, 2023; Hoylake, England, GBR; Brian Harman acknowledges the crowd after a putt during the
July 20, 2023; Hoylake, England, GBR; Brian Harman acknowledges the crowd after a putt during the / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Brian Harman leads the Open Championship at the conclusion of Round 2 action.

Wow, who could have possibly called Brian Harman potentially winning this weekend? Oh that's right. I did.

But, even though I liked Harman this week, I couldn't envision him winning by five strokes heading into Saturday's round. He's also the +140 live betting favorite, which means his implied probability of pulling it off is 41.67%.

So, if you tailed me on Harman and want to hedge, or if you just want some weekend action, let's take a look at three golfers who I think can catch the leader.

British Open Live Odds After Round 2

British Open Live Predictions

Jordan Spieth +1600

I'm staying away from the golfer in second place. Based on Tommy Fleetwood's lack of strong performances in clutch situations paired with the added pressure of it being a hometown event for him, it's going to take a lot for him to stare down his demons and win his first major.

So instead, the first golfer I'm looking at is Jordan Spieth, who's sitting eight strokes back from Harman at two-under par.

Spieth is a fantastic links golfer, has the major experience to get it done, and has played some solid golf through the first two rounds. He has gained 1.41 strokes per round on the field with his approach game. If he can get hot with the putter, he's going to make a charge.

Jason Day +1800

The next golfer I'm looking at is Jason Day at 18/1, who is sitting at three-under par, seven strokes back from Harman.

Day is having a career resurgence this season, which has resulted in a win at the AT&T Byron Nelson and seven top 10 finishes. He has also recorded some solid finished at the Open Championship in years past, including a T4 finish in 2014.

To top it off, he was tied for the second best round of the day with a four-under par. That's a great sign heading into the weekend.

Hideki Matsuayama +9000

Want a longshot to make a comeback and make Sunday interesting? How about none other than Hideki Matsuayama, the 2021 Masters champion.

He has a long road ahead of him, sitting at even par and 10 strokes back from the lead. Not only will he have to play well the final two rounds, but he'll likely also need Harman to melt down a little bit. Still, he has played extremely steady golf on Thursday and Friday and he has the skill and talent to get it done.

He has also been putting well so far this event, which is usually his shortcoming. If he can keep that putting up while dialing in his ball striking, he could make a move in Round 3.


Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change