Lee Westwood ‘disgusted’ by Brian Harman treatment after Open win

Lee Westwood was “disgusted” by the “astounding” disrespect shown towards Brian Harman after his dominant Open triumph at Royal Liverpool.

Writing in his Telegraph column, Westwood hit back at the treatment Harman has had online after his finest hour at Hoylake.

Harman was world No.26 before hoisting the Claret Jug but is now up to 10th and almost certain of competing in September’s Ryder Cup after his six-shot victory in the final men’s major of the year.

The American was a huge outsider to conquer the Wirral links and seal his maiden major title, with doubts even when he reached the halfway stage with a significant five stroke advantage.

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But, in reality, his victory never looked in doubt over the weekend as he nervelessly negotiated his way round a deluged course in Sunday’s final round.

Harman walked up his 72nd hole on Sunday knowing the Open was his having comfortably held off the likes of Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Jason Day and Tom Kim.

But the 36-year-old was certainly not the most popular winner of the Open, having been booed on the first tee just four hours earlier.

And Westwood, who missed the major for the first time in 27 years, was far from impressed with the reactions to Harman’s win.

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Westwood wrote: “I read an article on Monday morning which thoroughly disgusted me. It was on a specialist golf website and the headline declared that ‘golf was due a dud’.

“The level of disrespect towards Brian Harman and his remarkable victory at the Open on Sunday was astounding.

“Imagine if Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy had won by six shots at Hoylake. Everyone would be shouting from the clubhouse rooftops and with good reason, too. But because it was Harman and not a household name, the reaction on social media seemed to be ‘meh’.”

Westwood added: “I am now dreading one of those damned lists to appear that rank ‘the worst major champions of all time’ or something of that pathetic ilk.

“It is grotesque and cruel and a plague on the sport. Judge the champs on how they play, how they win, not on how famous they happen to be at the time.

“He was world No.26, for goodness sake. That was [ranked higher] than Shane Lowry when he won at Portrush in 2019. And nobody called that Open ‘a dud’. There is no such thing as a ‘dud’ Open, unless you are obsessed with celebrity.”

As for McIlroy, Westwood believes “he has not peaked yet” and did “ridiculously well to win four majors before he was 25”.

He added: “I did not play my best golf until I was in my late 30s. “He is so consistent and should carry on what he is doing.

“I honestly have a feeling that he will win the Masters in April and I’m not sure I’ve felt that way before. Rory just seems on that path and, one day, it will all click.”