Brian Harman Nearly Lost One of His Children Months Before the 2025 PGA Tour

Although professional golfer and champion Brian Harman bested his top competitors during the Valero Texas Open for the 2025 PGA Tour, he did so with a lot weighing on him. He told reporters that a close family friend was on his mind, as was his son. This led many to wonder what happened to Brian Harman's son and what that had to do with the Tour.

Brian shares three kids with his wife, Kelly Van Slyke. Although Brian doesn't often share details about his private life on social media, he has shared photos and little updates in the past, including a heartfelt message to Kelly on her first Mother's Day as a mom to their first child back in 2017. But just months before the PGA Tour in 2025, Brian almost lost one of his other children.

After Brian won the Valero Texas Open, he spoke to reporters about the accomplishment. He also explained that a family friend by the name of Cathy Dowdy was on his mind, as she had been moved to hospice care after suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2024. The reason she got the injury was because she dove into the ocean when Brian's 6-year-old son was swept out in a rip current.

Luckily, Brian's son survived the accident when another person was able to save him during the family's trip to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. But after Cathy was unable to save the boy herself, she sustained a brain injury that put her into a coma. At the time, Brian was playing in China.

In November 2024, Brian spoke to the press at The RSM Classic in Georgia and shared details about what happened to his son and his family's close friend.

"He was out boogie boarding with one of his really good friends, got ripped out to sea by just a rip current," Brian explained at the time. "We get them here, it's not something that's abnormal, but this was an abnormally bad one."

Brian's son was pulled out of the water by someone else, and Cathy suffered a brain injury.

Brian and his wife, Kelly, met in 2010 at the start of his professional golf career. She reportedly quickly became a mainstay at tournaments as Brian played, and a few years later, the couple got married. From there, they started a family, which is now made up of Brian, Kelly, and their three kids. Kelly is on Instagram, but like Brian, she seems to prefer to keep their family life a bit more private.

But that hasn't stopped Brian from being open about his family when prompted, especially since he and Kelly nearly lost their son months before he competed on the 2025 PGA Tour. Judging by the couple's lack of social media activity, it looks like Kelly is content to support her husband IRL, and for him, that seems to matter the most anyway.