The Open: Who’s Daniel Brown? Meet the English rookie having fun with dream main debut at Royal Troon

Dan Brown could share a reputation with a well-known creator, however the Englishman is refusing to consider probably writing his personal main story regardless of a powerful begin to The Open.

The world No 272 got here by means of Closing Qualifying to safe a significant debut at Royal Troon, the place he snatched a shock first-round lead with a five-under 66 on Thursday night earlier than battling robust situations to publish a one-over 72.

Brown heads into the weekend on 5 beneath alongside compatriot Justin Rose and inside two strokes of midway chief Shane Lowry, though is not placing any extra strain on himself as he experiences being in main rivalry for the primary time.

“I’ve always been quite laid back really,” Brown mentioned. “I think I am a bit of a realist as well. I know I’m not going to start getting ahead of myself and thinking ‘oh my god, I’m leading The Open’ or ‘I’m second in The Open’ or whatever.

“There’s nonetheless 36 holes left. I may need a superb spherical tomorrow after which I may need a smelly spherical on Sunday. You simply do not know. I will simply hold doing what I am doing, and hopefully that is ok going into the weekend as effectively.”

Brown graduated by means of Qualifying Faculty in November 2022 to earn his DP World Tour enjoying privileges for the next season, the place his rookie marketing campaign noticed him win the ISPS Handa World Invitational and qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

There was a tied-fourth end earlier this yr on the SDC Championship, the place he led heading into the weekend earlier than fading, together with a share of third in December on the AfrAsia Financial institution Mauritius Open

A 61st-place end on the Genesis Scottish Open final week was his first minimize made in 4 months and the one event Brown has performed all 72 holes of in his final eight begins, however did give us a sign of what could possibly be to come back with a gap 65.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve actually had a change in form,” Brown mentioned. “I believe it is only a case of outcomes actually. I had a little bit of a knee harm and had a couple of weeks out and have not actually gotten going since.

The Open Stay

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“It’s more I wasn’t playing poorly. It was more just rustiness really from having six, seven weeks off. So I feel like the results have been coming. I’ve just had to stay patient, and I wasn’t very patient when I came back from injury at all.”

Rose stays in hunt for main glory

Brown is locked on 5 beneath with Rose, who birdied two of his final three holes to publish a three-under 68 within the worst of Friday’s situations, with each having the prospect to grow to be the primary English winner since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992.

“That was such a fun way to finish,” Rose mentioned about his final-hole birdie. “Obviously I celebrated, and there was the realisation I didn’t have to hit another shot, could really kind of let my guard down and enjoy the day because it was a really hardworking, good round of golf.

“To complete that manner was clearly particular with the crowds, being a reasonably full grandstand Friday afternoon. It was actually good to take pleasure in that one.”

When requested whether or not he had any ideas for Brown, Rose added: “We’re probably much more aligned than we are different, in the sense of go out there tomorrow, the mentality to do well is going to be to enjoy it.

“To be as free as you may with it, to provide your self the perfect alternative to play effectively, to kind of embrace the enjoyable a part of it and the childhood dream a part of it. From that standpoint, I believe it is fairly comparable.”

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