Brian Harman is hoping to take advantage of being a left-hander at this week’s Masters Tournament as he looks to add a second Major Championship to his collection following last year’s Open Championship triumph.
The Masters has been won by a lefty on six occasions since 2003, with Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson (3) and Bubba Watson (2) all slipping into the iconic Green Jacket at Augusta National.
The reason why lefties seem to thrive at Augusta National more than any other Major Championship is that there are lots of key shots, especially on the back nine, that call for a shot that flies right-to-left, which makes life a little easier for the likes of Harman and Mickelson.
“Yeah, lefties have done pretty well around here,” said Harman, who is one of five left-handed players in this week’s edition.
“I think the conditions kind have to go in my favour. It's a long golf course. I make no bones about that. I don't make any excuses about how far I hit the ball or make any gripes about how long courses are. I just show up and try to be ready to play.
“The U.S. Open I had a chance to win was the longest one in U.S. Open history. So, the length doesn't scare me. I've just got to prepare myself. It's evolved into a really hard golf course. It's just one of those things where you want to fast-forward and be on the back nine Sunday making lots of birdies.
“But there's a lot that happens in between teeing off Thursday and that back nine. And it's a very challenging course, and there's a lot of places that are really frustrating. And the guy that handles that the best usually is pretty up there.”
While lefties may have a slight advantage over the hallowed turf of Augusta National, Harman hasn’t put it to much use is his previous five appearances.
The 37-year-old has missed the cut on three occasions, including his last two starts, while his best finish was a share of 12th in 2021.
Despite not boasting one of the best records at the first Major Championship of the season, the American believes he has learned plenty to know he has what it takes to win a Green Jacket.
“Just knowing that I can compete here, I've competed here,” he said.
“I had a good chance, I forget what year it was , 2020, 2021, one of those years. So, I know I can play this golf course well. It's just a matter of getting my game in the right form to play. And that takes a little bit of experience.
“And you're going to see yourself hit some bad shots around here. It's just part of the pressure of this place, being able to get over those and just knowing it's a long week and there's just certain shots that you're going to have to execute.
“And for me it's like a math project. My game has to be here for me to be successful. So, I'm really focused on trying to find that litmus test of getting the game where it needs to be first before I worry about contending.”
