With the likes of Rory McIlroy, eventual champion Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry in action at the 2025 DP India World Championship, another PGA Tour star is under the spotlight: Brian Harman.
But the 2023 Open champion received widespread attention after the game. That’s because Harman uncharacteristically lost his cool in the final round, violently smashing a club in disgust… only to watch as his ball ended up near the hole.
Harman played in India Championship before collapsing on Sunday
Although Harman received his second bill this week, it looks like he might win most of them. At halftime, Harman shot 68 and 65 to reach 11 under. That left him tied for second with Lowry, one shot behind Fleetwood with 36 holes to play.
But Harman, who won the 2025 Valero Texas Open in April for his first victory since the 2023 Royal Liverpool Open, took a step back in the third round on Saturday.
He had two bogeys and only four birdies for a 70, four shots behind 54-hole leader Keita Nakajima.
The biggest change on Harman’s scorecard from the previous two rounds occurred on the par-5 first hole. Harman birdied the narrow, tree-lined hole Thursday and Friday. But on Saturday, Harman was forced to tee off in three strokes on No. 1. His first tee shot went into the woods. When his impromptu tee shot also discovered trees, a frantic search ensued.
Eventually, Hamann found two balls. So he hit an unplayable shot on the first tee, then took a quick golf cart ride back to the tee to hit his third tee shot. Somehow, he ended up with a six-shot bogey.
Come Sunday, things will get worse.
Brian Harman tees off, smashes club in disgust
Trailing by four strokes at the start of the final round, Harman still had a chance to come back and win. But only if he goes low early and often.
Unfortunately, those chances evaporated on the first hole when Harman hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker and then hit his second shot into the bushes, again being penalized. The result was a double bogey 7.
Hamann is known for his calm demeanor, rarely letting positive or negative emotions overwhelm him on the court. But the frustration on the first hole finally boiled over on the par-3 fifth.
The 161-yard fifth hole requires another careful tee shot through the woods off the tee. On Sunday, a tough shot near the front of the sloping green made things even more tense. A bad pitch can easily lead to a big number.
With a one-stroke lead that day, Harman selected his irons, stood up, and slammed his ball.
In the video of the shot, Harman holds his stance for a moment, but then turns around and slams his tomahawk into the ground, causing the club to bounce off the tee.
One TV analyst can be heard saying: “I’ve never seen him do that before.”
Harman was clearly convinced he had hit another squirrelly drive. But he was wrong. Very wrong. Just after Harman shattered the iron, the camera cut to his ball, capturing the end of its flight as it crashed onto the green and came to a stop 6 feet, 10 inches from the pin.
Take a look below.
In fact, it was Harman’s best shot on the hole all week. He hit the ball to 36 feet on the fifth hole in the first round, to 18 feet in the second round, and to 23 feet in the third round.
But Harman failed to miss a brief birdie opportunity and ended up with a par. He traded three birdies for four bogeys the rest of the way, finishing with a 2-over 74. Sunday’s struggles left him tied for 26th, 11 strokes behind Fleetwood.
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