Brian Harman vows to drink ‘a couple of pints’ of The Open trophy after sealing his first Major win

The celebrations will get off to a flying start for Brian Harman, the Georgia native who was just crowned Champion Golfer of the Year.

Going into Sunday’s final round at Hoylake with a 36-hole lead and 54 holes, Harman held his ground in the rain and won his first major Open championship by six strokes.

Minutes after Harman got his hands on the Claret Jug for the first time, he thanked his family and those who organized the tournament, while acknowledging that he had a new task on his hands.

“I have my wife to thank, my family back home,” Harman said. I can’t wait to get back to them tomorrow. I’ve got to have a couple of pints of this trophy first, I think.

‘This golf course was a real test, it put up very well even in the weather. Thank you very much, the greens were perfect, the golf course was excellent.

The Georgia native notched his third professional victory and his first major title

He did it by holding his own in the rain, beating the field at Hoylake by six shots.

‘And finally, I want to thank the R&A for putting on such an amazing championship. To all the fans for all the nice words and to the fans at home for cheering me on, thank you, I appreciate it.

Later, speaking with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, Harman discussed his mentality throughout the tournament.

“The hardest part was not getting off to a good start these last two days… that’s what I’ve struggled with a lot in my career, getting ahead of myself… but my caddy Scott Tway helped me with that.”

He added: “I didn’t really think about winning the tournament until I made the last putt.”

Asked what it means to have his name engraved on golf’s most storied trophy, Harman said: ‘Cool as it gets. It is the best tournament in the world and I am excited.