Open Leader Brian Harman Likens 'Patience' and 'Strategy' Of Hunting To Golf Ahead Of Hoylake Final Round

Brian Harman will take a five stroke lead into the final round of the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool, and he'll be hoping to lean on the patience and strategy that he has developed from his passion of hunting.

He said he was proud of how he stayed patient on the course in round three after dropping two early shots before coming back to shoot two-under.

"Staying patient out there is paramount," he said. "Sometimes it's a lot harder than others. But really proud of the way that I hung in there."

The American's love for hunting has been one of many stories this week and he spoke a bit more about it after his third round 69 at Hoylake on Saturday evening.

"Yeah, the patience and the strategy for sure," Harman said on what assets from hunting help his golf.

"When I go out turkey hunting I can spend all day out there, and like I said, hunting is something else that I do that makes me lose track of time.

"We've been on some really cool elk hunts out in Colorado, really tough hunting, tons of elevation, and then after we harvest the animal, having to pack it out. You talk about six to eight hours packing this thing up and down these mountains.

"Yeah, it's just something I really enjoy doing. I enjoy putting meat in the freezer. Like I said, we eat wild meat a lot at home. It's cool to know where my meat comes from. We do it a lot and I love it. 

"My dad used to take me hunting, but we always made it a point that I knew how to skin a deer when I was eight years old. It was all part of it, start to finish. I enjoy it start to finish.

"Back home at the hunting place that I own, we plant food for the animals. We have prescribed fire for the animals. Everything we do is for the wildlife, and then when we harvest it, we respect it and take care of it and feed our families with it."

Harman, who would almost certainly secure a spot on the US team for a debut Ryder Cup appearance in September, will also be heading to East Lake again as part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. That's one of his proudest achievements, he told media following his Saturday round.

"This year will be the 12th straight year that I've made the FedExCup Playoffs. I'm not sure how many guys have done that. I'm proud of that."

And how will he win his maiden Major on Sunday? By "staying in the moment".

"You'd be foolish not to envision, and I've thought about winning Majors for my whole entire life. It's the whole reason I work as hard as I do and why I practise as much as I do and why I sacrifice as much as I do," he said.

"Tomorrow if that's going to come to fruition for me, it has to be all about the golf. It has to be execution and just staying in the moment."

The left-hander plays in the final group on Sunday with Cameron Young at 2.15pm local time (9.15am ET).