“I’m not going to quit” – Brian Harman is motivated to take his first win since 2017 at The Open Championship 2023

Brian Harman is all motivated to claim his first title in six years as he heads to the weekend of the 151st Open with a five-stroke lead.

Following his 4-under 67 on Day 1 at Royal Liverpool, Harman continued his impressive performance by firing a 6-under 65 on Friday, July 22, to conclude the 36 holes at 10-under. Tommy Fleetwood, who shot 71 in the second round, was five strokes behind him.

Harman's last win came at the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship, when he beat Dustin Johnson and Pat Perez by a single stroke. The same year, he had a 54-hole lead at the US Open but eventually lost to Brooks Koepka.

Since his 2017 win at Eagle Point Golf Club, the University of Georgia alum has finished in the top 10 a total of 32 times without securing a victory, making him the golfer with the most top 10s since the 2017–18 season.

During the post-round press conference on Friday, the 36-year-old golfer tried to shed light on what had held him back from winning for so long.

He said:

"I think about it a lot, obviously. I'm around the lead a bunch. It's been hard to stay patient. I felt that after I won the tournament and had the really good chance at the U.S. Open in 2017 that I would probably pop a few more off, and it just hasn't happened. I've been right there, and it just hasn't happened."

"I don't know. I don't know why it hasn't happened, but I'm not going to quit. I'm going to stick with it and just keep after it, and hopefully it'll pop one day."

Harman has also been unfortunate in securing a spot on the Ryder Cup team. In his 13-year professional career, he has not managed to earn a place on the Ryder Cup US team even once. However, if he wins the Open this week, he will be in serious contention for a spot in the Rome event.

He said:

"I've spent I don't know how many years chasing a -- it always seems it's right there at the end and I end up in between 13th and 18th on the list and I'm hoping for a pick.

"It would mean the world to me to play on the Ryder Cup team. I think I would do very well. But I'm not thinking about that at all."

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When will Brian Harman tee off at the Open Championship 2023, round 3?

Brian Harman is paired with Tommy Fleetwood for the third round of the 151st Open. The duo will tee off on Saturday, July 22, at 10:30 a.m. EST (local time).

Harman had a T12 finish at the Scottish Open last week ahead of the Open Championship in 2023. Lately, he has been in fantastic form, with top-10 finishes in two of his last three starts, and if he is able to carry the momentum of the first two rounds over the weekend, he might end his title drought this week.