'Sad to give back member of family Claret Jug'

Brian Harman was on his farm in the depths of winter when the fact he was Open champion really sank in.

After the American dominated the field to win by six shots at Royal Liverpool last July, he said he was looking forward to being "on the tractor mowing the grass" at his Georgia home.

And it was while there he said he "just had a moment and stopped".

"I was on my four-wheeler and I found myself in that moment thinking of the Open Championship and that pleasant space," Harman told BBC Sport.

"When you do get a bit of solitude, that’s when your mind goes to pleasant memories."

The 37-year-old conceded it was "sad" to have to hand back the Claret Jug to the R&A on Monday morning as he arrived at Royal Troon for the 152nd staging of golf's oldest championship.

"It’s tough," added the left-hander, who said he "drank some unusually expensive wine and some unusually exceptional bourbon" out of the trophy.

"It becomes a member of the family because it goes everywhere with you for a year. It leaves a bit of a gap. But it makes you more motivated to grab it for another year."

No golfer has won successive Opens since Ireland's Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008.

Harman was also asked about the prize fund for this week's championship, which has increased by $500,000 overall, with an extra $100,000 for the winner.

The champion will collect $3.1m (£2.38m) from a $17m fund, with the R&A saying it was "concerned" over the sustainability of the game.

When asked if he would play this tournament if he got paid less, or maybe nothing at all, he replied: "I'm not sure everyone would, but I would."

The Open's prize fund is dwarfed by that of the US Open. Bryson DeChambeau earned $4.3m for winning that major championship in June - an increase of $700,000 on the previous year.

Xander Schauffele picked up $3.3m for winning the US PGA Championship in May, while Scottie Scheffler earned $3.7m when he won his second Masters title in April.

The rise in prize money has followed LIV Golf's emergence in 2022. The Saudi-funded tour has attracted several of the world's best players, offering $20m purses at its events.

That prompted the PGA Tour to introduce 'signature' tournaments that have similar levels of funding in an attempt to stop its players jumping across the divide. Its flagship tournament, the Players Championship, has $4.5m for the winner.

The Open's prize fund has increased by $5.5m since 2021, with the winner's cheque worth $1m more. By way of comparison, the US Open winner received $2m more this year than three years ago.

Chief executive Martin Slumbers said the R&A "has a responsibility to strike a balance between maintaining The Open's position in the global game, providing the funds required for governance and developing amateur and recreational golf in 146 countries internationally".

"We have to make choices if we want to continue to build on the significant growth in participation that is essential for golf’s future," he said.

"We remain concerned about the impact substantial increases in men's professional prize money are having on the perception of the sport and its long-term financial sustainability.

"We are determined to act with the interests of the global game in mind as we pursue our goal of ensuring golf continues to thrive in 50 years' time."