Shane Lowry holds two-shot lead at The Open as first-round leader Dan Brown sits second after rounds of 65 and 72; Brown missed six of his last eight cuts before a strong start at Royal Troon; Watch throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports Golf
Friday 19 July 2024 19:29, UK
Dan Brown may share a name with a famous author, but the Englishman is refusing to think about possibly writing his own major story despite an impressive start to The Open.
The world No 272 came through Final Qualifying to secure a major debut at Royal Troon, where he snatched a shock first-round lead with a five-under 66 on Thursday evening before battling tough conditions to post a one-over 72.
Brown heads into the weekend on five under alongside compatriot Justin Rose and within two strokes of halfway leader Shane Lowry, although isn't putting any additional pressure on himself as he experiences being in major contention for the first time.
"I've always been quite laid back really," Brown said. "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 still 36 holes left. I might have a good round tomorrow and then I might have a stinky round on Sunday. You just don't know. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, and hopefully that's good enough going into the weekend as well."
Brown graduated through Qualifying School in November 2022 to earn his DP World Tour playing privileges for the following season, where his rookie campaign saw him win the ISPS Handa World Invitational and qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
There was a tied-fourth finish earlier this year at the SDC Championship, where he led heading into the weekend before fading, along with a share of third in December at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open
A 61st-place finish at the Genesis Scottish Open last week was his first cut made in four months and the only tournament Brown has played all 72 holes of in his last eight starts, but did give us an indication of what could be to come with an opening 65.
"I wouldn't say I've actually had a change in form," Brown said. "I think it's just a case of results really. I had a bit of a knee injury and had a few weeks out and haven't really gotten going since.
"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."
Brown is locked on five under with Rose, who birdied two of his last three holes to post a three-under 68 in the worst of Friday's conditions, with both having the chance to become the first English winner since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992.
"That was such a fun way to finish," Rose said 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 finish that way was obviously special with the crowds, being a fairly full grandstand Friday afternoon. It was really good to enjoy that one."
When asked whether he had any tips 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 can with it, to give yourself the best opportunity to play well, to sort of embrace the fun part of it and the childhood dream part of it. From that point of view, I think it's pretty similar."
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