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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2017

June 18, 2017

Brian Harman

Erin, Wisconsin

Q. You said you were happy to be here on the weekend, but to be runner-up in a U.S. Open, talk about what that means?
BRIAN HARMAN: It bites a little bit right now. But Brooks played so well today. The conditions were so tough. Was 5-under the round of the day, him and Hideki, I guess? So next to last group and you shoot the lowest round of the day, that's tough, that's tough.

I had a couple get away from me yesterday. I was playing so good and just missed a couple putts. Had a couple get away from me today, but at the same time, I can't take anything away from how well he played.

Q. How do you feel about how well you handled it this weekend? Really the first time in this situation in a major?
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, I've been in lots of golf tournaments. I've been in the hunt in a lot of golf tournaments. So this didn't feel horribly different than those. I felt that I had a good game plan. I felt that if I -- I just wish I was able to put a little more pressure on the course. I just didn't drive it as well today as I wanted to, so that would be something I'd work on going forward.

Q. Should the U.S. Open come back to Erin Hills? Do you think it should?
BRIAN HARMAN: I think it should. I think it's a great test. If the wind was up like this all week, your winning score is much higher than it would have been. And the scores were low because the greens were good. The greens were a pleasure to putt on, and it was easy to make putts. That's why the scores are low.

You can't make the course long enough where guys aren't going to shoot under par. If you want guys to shoot over par, you bring in the fairways, you make the rough deeper, and you make it more penal around the green. But this place is a fair test.

Q. It was you and Brooks for 12 and 13 holes back and forth. You get a couple bogies and all of a sudden, the gap was so big.
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, well, even when I made the couple bogies, I made the birdie right there at 14 it was. Then he birdied 14, 15, 16, and that was kind of lights out.

I was pretty content making pars on the front nine because I knew the kind of day it was. I mean, you've got to tip your cap. He went and won the golf tournament on the back nine. I've done it before, but he did it today.

Q. Tommy Fleetwood was just saying that he'll draw upon this next time he steps up to the tee in a major championship. Yourself, as you mentioned, you hadn't made the cut here, look what you did today. Runner-up finish.
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, that would probably be a better question for me to answer. My first response to that is I don't believe in moral victories. I had an opportunity today and I didn't get it done. But at the same time, I don't feel as though I lost a golf tournament. I think Brooks went out and won the tournament.

I'm just going to keep trying to do what I'm good at and keep doing what I know how to do and we'll see where that takes me.

Q. You won not that long ago. Are you playing some of the best golf of your career right now?
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, my pro career, for sure. I've been playing well.

Q. Something to build on or give you some more confidence going forward?
BRIAN HARMAN: I finished last at Memorial two weeks ago, so, who knows.

Q. Brooks had talked about feeling like an underachiever because he was all of 27 and hadn't won a major yet, hadn't done this. Can you relate to that at all?
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, for sure. When I was a young junior golfer, I definitely perceived myself contending in majors. Not that I'm an old man by any means, but I'm 30. So for me, I feel like I am trying to make up for some time lost. I don't know why. I don't know why I feel that way, but that's just kind of the way I feel. So, yeah, I can relate to that.

Q. Do you think it's because you have people like Rory and Jordan who have come along?
BRIAN HARMAN: No, I don't think there's -- I think most of the good players don't really compare themselves to their peers. I think most of it is just knowing what they're capable of and the frustration comes when you're not seeing the results you feel you're capable of. Not so much that one person's winning or another person's winning.

Q. You talked about the chip you have on your shoulder, but it sounds like you embrace it and use it in a way? Can you talk about that?
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, I've never been a big, big man in any sport I've played. A lot of people in the media love pointing that out. It's kind of the first thing they write about. Yeah, it's definitely something I draw upon.

Q. Did you feel pretty calm today, going off so late, last group, whole atmosphere?
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, I felt pretty calm. The golf course today was much tougher, so that created some nerves, just because you knew there was going to be some tough pars out there. I was proud of the way I parred 1. I hit some terrible drives on 1 and 2, but made some pars, made a great birdie on 3, and then just I kind of thought if I parred, kept parring, I was going to have a really good chance. And I would have, if Brooks hadn't have played so well.

Q. What was the biggest shot you felt you pulled off today at least at the time you pulled it off?
BRIAN HARMAN: I think maybe the approach into the par-5 on the back, 14, after I made a couple bogies to knock it in there to make birdie. I kind of thought that might propel me on. And I looked at the next hole and birdied 16.

So without the craziness going on in front of me, that would have been my heroics for the day.

Q. What would you bring up about yourself if you were writing about yourself?
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, I don't know (laughing). I don't know. I'm just me. I don't try to be anything I'm not. I just do the best I can.

Q. Feisty? Fiery?
BRIAN HARMAN: I'll let you decide that.

Q. There were only two guys that shot a lower score in a U.S. Open than you ever.
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, if you had told me I was going to shoot 12-under this year at a U.S. Open and not win, I would have taken the bet for sure.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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