Brian Harman turned a frustrating start into a fast climb Friday at the RBC Heritage, carding a 5-under-par 66 to move to 28th after two rounds at Harbour Town Golf Links. The 39-year-old missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th on Thursday, then opened his second round by rolling in a 9-foot birdie at No. 1 and never looked back.
Harman had shot an even-par 71 in the first round of the 58th annual event, and his second-round card was cleaner in every way: five birdies and no bogeys. He finished nine strokes behind leader Matt Fitzpatrick, who shot 63 to get to 14-under par.
The result carried extra weight for Harman because Harbour Town is not new ground for him. The Savannah Christian and University of Georgia alum is making his 18th appearance at the course, where he debuted in 2004 as a high school junior after winning the U.S. Junior Amateur title the summer before. His best finish at the RBC Heritage came last year, when he tied for third at 14-under par.
Harman said the key Friday was getting something to fall early after a round Thursday in which he felt he had hit plenty of good shots without seeing the putts drop. He added that the greens are new this year after a recent restoration by Davis Love III, and that the subtle breaks have made past course knowledge less reliable than usual. Even the wind, he said, can change the place quickly, and he expected the afternoon wave to face tougher scoring than the morning players.
That is why his 1:55 Saturday tee time matters. Harman said getting out early, before the wind picks up, may be his best chance to keep moving forward at a course where small margins can still decide a week.
