Brian Harman makes Ryder Cup statement at The Open

After Brian Harman’s victory at The Open Championship, Zach Johnson was among the first to greet him with a hearty hug and a big smile.

Johnson, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain and fellow resident of St. Simons Island, Georgia, knew his good friend was now an essential lock for his American team in Rome in September, with the 2023 major championships offering double points for winners in addition to 1.5x points for all others who make the cut.

The bulldog (and former Bulldog – Harman is a Georgia alum) has always had a penchant for solid team play, being part of winning Walker Cup teams in both 2005 and 2009. He moved from 20th to third on the U.S. Team rankings with his win at Royal Liverpool Golf Cub, just behind world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Wyndham Clark.

As Captain Johnson sees it, Harman’s Ryder Cup debut would be very well deserved.

“He is a very formidable competitor, number one. Number two, hey, what does Brian Harman do really well? Well, he does everything quite well,” Johnson said. “He's a very good driver of the golf ball and a very, very, very good putter. Then if everything else is good, then it can be pretty lethal.”

Harman said he’s always enjoyed match play. He went 4-1-2 at the Walker Cup, won the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur and compiled a stout record as a Bulldog.

Now he’s hoping all of that match-play mojo continues at the Ryder Cup.

“I enjoy the head-to-head competition,” Harman said Sunday. “So, yeah, I really enjoy match play.”

The American team’s lineup remains a little blurry for now but is getting clearer with less than a month remaining before the top six spots are finalized.

Cameron Young, last season’s PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, moved to No. 8 on the U.S. Team rankings after a tie for eighth at The Open, while Max Homa – on the back of a tie for 10th, his first top-10 finish at a major – moved to No. 7.

“Finally played well at a major,” Homa said with a smile Sunday at Royal Liverpool. “Feels good.”

The current top six in the U.S. Team rankings (automatic qualifiers if the qualification period closed now) would be Scheffler, Clark, Harman, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

On the European side, a quick peek of The Open Championship leaderboard showed plenty of flags near the top with Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka finishing tied for second, Rory McIlroy at T6 and Tommy Fleetwood at T10.

Three players will automatically qualify for the European Team through the European Points list (comprised of DP World Tour events via the qualification period) and the highest three players on the World Points List – excluding crossover from the European Points List – will also automatically qualify.

Rahm, McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Fleetwood would earn automatic spots if the qualification period closed now, while Straka made a move with a career-best major showing (T2) Sunday at The Open. It came just two weeks after his win at the John Deere Classic and marked his second top-10 finish at a major this season. Straka undoubtedly impressed Europe Captain Luke Donald and stands the precipice of the roster, moving up one spot on the European Team's world points list, from No. 8 to No. 7. He's is now just one spot behind Fleetwood, who holds the last automatic spot on the European roster.

“It would be huge. It would be amazing. It's been a huge goal,” Straka said about his Ryder Cup potential. “Over the last year-and-a-half really it's been on my radar, and really looking forward to having a chance.”

European Team Captain Luke Donald will make six captain’s picks following the automatic qualification period, as will Johnson.

One player currently on the outside looking in: Justin Thomas, who added the 3M Open to his schedule late last week in hopes of trying to bolster his place on the FedExCup standings and the Ryder Cup team. Thomas, who sits 14th on the U.S. Team ranking, missed the cut at The Open after an opening-round 82. He finished the 2023 major season with three missed cuts and a T65 at the PGA Championship.

He didn’t feel, though, he was too far away from turning things around.

“I'm hitting a lot of good shots. I'm just making so many bonehead mistakes and crazy things (are) happening,” Thomas said. “I'll be fine.

“I want to make the Ryder Cup more than anything.”

One player who won’t need to sweat the bubble, after earning the title of Champion Golfer of the Year – Brian Harman.

For updated Ryder Cup points standings for the 2023 U.S. and European teams, click here.