The 151st Open: The debrief

Brian Harman clinched his maiden Major Championship, Jon Rahm hails his best ever round of links golf, local boy Matthew Jordan enjoyed a week to remember while Alex Fitzpatrick impressed on the biggest of stages.

Here is everything you need to know from The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool.

Harman is the Champion Golfer of the Year

Brian Harman produced a masterclass of front-running and putting to claim a six-shot victory at The 151st Open and earn his maiden Major title.

The American left-hander held a five-stroke lead heading into the final round of a wet Sunday at Royal Liverpool, and was never truly threatened over the last 18 holes. Masters Champion Jon Rahm briefly closed within three as Harman dropped two shots in his first five holes on Sunday afternoon, but he rallied quickly with back-to-back birdies at six and seven.

Outstanding with the flat-stick the entire tournament, Harman’s victory could in large be dedicated to his prowess on the greens. His only other dropped shot came at the 13th, but he then drained a 40-footer for birdie at 14 before adding another birdie from eight feet at the 15th. He had three successive pars to end his tournament on 13 under par, and with no challenger close, it proved in the end to be a rather straight forward route to the Claret Jug.

Harman said: "It’s pretty surreal. It really hasn't sunk in yet. I’m not going to let (the Claret Jug) out of my sight for the time being.

"To win what I consider the greatest prize in golf is as good as it gets.

"I've got to thank my wife and family back home. I sure miss them and can’t wait to get back to them tomorrow. First I’m going to have me a couple of pints out of this here trophy, I believe."

"This golf course was a real test. It was set up so great even with the weather, so thanks to everyone that helped put it together. I want to thank the R&A for putting together such an incredible Championship. I couldn’t be happier to be its champion."

Summer to remember for Silver Medal winner Lamprecht

Four weeks on from securing his spot at the final Major Championship of the year by winning The Amateur Championship at Hillside, South African Christo Lamprecht claimed the Silver Medal at The Open.

The 22-year-old, who measures 6ft 8 ins, was certainly standing tall after a spectacular five-under-par 66 earned him a share of the first-round leader alongside Fleetwood and Emiliano Grillo.

Despite following that up with a 79, he made it through o the weekend on his Major bow before registering rounds of 76 and 74 to finish the tournament on 11 over par.

As the only amateur to make the cut, he earned the Silver Medal, something which he described made him “very proud”.

"It's been a week with every bit of emotion, kind of coming off a high on Thursday and just not having it the last three days," he said.

"It was a little bit disappointing, but obviously being the last amateur standing and getting the Silver Medal this afternoon, yeah, it puts a smile back on my face."

Rahm’s Royal Liverpool Open record

Jon Rahm’s second place finish in The 151st Open was his best result in the final Major of the year to date, and included a Royal Liverpool record and his ‘best ever’ round on the links on Saturday.

A two-under front nine included birdies at the fifth and ninth, but the Spaniard sparked into action on the back-nine, following up immediately with three birdies after the turn. He then birdied three of his last four to post the lowest round in an Open at Hoylake with an eight-under par 63 - beating the previous record of 65.

“That's the best round I've played on a links golf course ever,” Rahm had said.

“It has to be up there (with my best rounds). I would look at obviously the opening round at this year’s Masters.

“I was aware it was going to be an important round in terms of the Open. I heard earlier in the week 65 was the lowest here in the Open so to get anywhere near that and even lower was pretty special.”

He is the 13th person to record a 63 in The Open, and the first since Shane Lowry at Royal Portrush in 2019. Branden Grace remains the only person to card a 62 in a Major Championship, which he scored in the third round at Royal Birkdale in 2018.

McIlroy continues his run of Major top tens

Rory McIlroy arrived to Royal Liverpool, scene of his Open Championship victory in 2014, searching for his fifth Major title and first in nine years on the back of a brilliant triumph at the Genesis Scottish Open Champion.

It wasn't to be for McIlroy, who had to settle for his eighth Major top ten in his last ten starts - which includes seven of his last eight. In two of those occasions, the 2022 Masters Tournament and this year's U.S. Open, McIlroy has finished second, and this week finished in a tie for sixth.

His Major drought will stretch now to a tenth year, but the Northern Irishman insists he doesn't think of it that way, and is instead focused on looking forward.

"I don't think that way," he said following his Sunday 68 at Hoylake.

"I think about trying to go and win a fourth FedExCup here in a couple weeks' time, go try and win a fifth Race to Dubai, go and win a fifth Ryder Cup. I just keep looking forward.

"Over the last two years would I have loved to have picked one of those off that I finished up there? Absolutely.

"But every time I tee it up or most times I tee it up, I'm right there. I can't sit here and be too frustrated. My game is in a -- you think about my performances in the majors between like 2016 and 2019, it's a lot better than that.

"Again, I'm optimistic about the future, and just got to keep plugging away."

Hometown hero Jordan stars at Hoylake

Undoubtedly one of the standout storylines of the week was the performance of Royal Liverpool member Matthew Jordan.

Having come through Final Qualifying for the second consecutive year, the 27-year-old was the subject of much pre-tournament interest and was rewarded with the honour of hitting the opening tee shot on Thursday.

He went on to post rounds of 69, 72, 69 and 70 to finish on four under par alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Max Homa in a tie for tenth place.

A closing birdie in front of the packed grandstand surrounding the 18th green, left Jordan to reflect on the ‘’perfect finish to what has been the most unbelievable week”.

"Obviously this was a completely new experience really in terms of the pressure from the support and the course and everything like that," he added.

"I think that's probably the most proud I've been about myself, the way I've performed under all that."

After his dream week at the club he has been a member of since he was seven, it was no surprise to see Jordan receive joyous acclaim inside the clubhouse.

Memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Alex outshines Major-winning brother Matt on Major debut

Alex Fitzpatrick, who like Jordan came through Final Qualifying at West Lancashire earlier this month, will also reflect fondly on his Open Championship experience.

In his Major debut, the 24-year-old emerged from the shadow of his older brother Matt, last year’s U.S. Open champion and eight-time DP World Tour winner.

Having turned professional last year after a successful amateur career in which he played in the Walker Cup at Hoylake in 2019, the younger Fitzpatrick sibling is playing largely on the European Challenge Tour in a bid to earn full status on the DP World Tour.

The signs of that becoming a reality are encouraging with three top-10 finishes already this season on the Road to Mallorca Rankings.

A “super special round” of six-under 65 on Saturday left Alex six shots off the lead heading into the final round and he holed the longest putt of the week on the first green on Sunday to rapturous applause.

He would settle for a closing 73 to end the week at two under in a tie for 17th, four shots better off than Matt.