SMOKIN hottie Dan Brown is still in the hunt for the Claret Jug on his Open debut – despite a late wobble.
The unknown 29-year-old Yorkshireman three-putted his last two holes as American – and West Ham fan – Billy Horschel took the lead.
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But Brown eased the pressure of chasing golf’s most famous trophy with sneaky cigarettes during his third round.
The world number 272 enters Sunday’s final round at Royal Troon in second place – a shot behind Horschel.
Brown, in his first major appearance, tried to keep his smoke private by crouching behind his caddy, brother Ben, as he lit up.
And he said, “Cigarettes are just a bad habit I picked up. I really only do this when I’m playing golf, so it can be a coping mechanism.
“I was trying to stick them to the truth. My mother and father are here, a lot of people are watching and I don’t know how they will react.
“It’s a little unpleasant to end like this. The way I behaved, I think I can move on.”
Brown certainly left the crowd breathless, recovering from a dropped shot at the first with a quick birdie hat trick.
And as conditions worsened, Brown – hoping to become the first Englishman to win the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992 – was the nicest man in town.
Who is Dan Brown?
By DAVID FACEY
DAN BROWN’S family should have warned him that smoking would give him a fit sooner or later.
And a visit to Coffin’s feared bunker could easily have sounded the death knell for his hopes of becoming an unlikely Open champion.
He made bogey after finding the sand guarding the par three postage stamp eighth hole at Troon.
That was quickly followed by another in the tenth – and it looked like the 29-year-old’s chances of winning a Major on his first try were going up in smoke.
But the Yorkshire man who likes weird queers – especially when he thinks the TV cameras aren’t on him – breathed new life into his challenge with a brave run along the fearsome final stretch.
Brown placed first or second on the leaderboard all three days of the Open. But most people who dropped out of the course asked the same question: who is this man?
As a youngster, the Northallerton qualifier was considered one of the least talented members of a powerful Yorkshire junior team – led by 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. But it turned out he was simply a late bloomer.
After turning professional seven years ago, he fought in the second and third tier tournaments, before arriving on Europe’s main circuit, the DP World Tour, two years ago.
A breakthrough victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational 11 months ago cemented his place on Tour.
But his form in the Open was quite shocking. Six consecutive missed cuts were followed by a 61st-place finish at last week’s Scottish Open.
So it’s no wonder he was a big outsider before turning 65 in the first round.
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He started as an outsider at 750-1, but now surpasses the likes of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and longtime leader Shane Lowry.
He sits alongside Justin Rose at three under par and four others after three-putting his final two holes, including a double-bogey on the 18th hole after a vicious break off the tee.
Brown said: “That finish is why it’s a little underwhelming. I got it right, and even though I didn’t hit a bad shot, you got three. Neither was a bad shot.
“It’s a little frustrating, but at the start of the week, if you had told me that I would be one or two off the lead in the final round of the Open, I would have bitten your hand off.
Horschel, who was in the group behind Brown and Lowry, shot arguably the best round of the day, a two-under-par 69 in the worst of the atrocious conditions.
It was even more impressive considering that both Horschel and his playing partner Rose spent most of the round seemingly posing as teenage skateboarders, with their caps turned backwards.
Not a good look for two golfers with a combined age of 80!
Horschel, 37, is a huge Hammers enthusiast, with the club’s logo printed on his golf bag, and is close friends with former Irons captains Mark Noble and Declan Rice.
So he will get a free pass from West Ham fans at least.
Rose wasn’t at her best. But he also shot a two-over-par 73 and is also deadlocked at three-under par.
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Horschel said: “This is the best round I have ever played in a major tournament.
“I’ve worked my whole life to be in this position. I’ve wanted to be here my whole life and I’m embracing it.
“I imagined myself holding the trophy, walking towards the crowd and being congratulated as Open champion.
“That’s what I’ll do again tonight.”
Meanwhile, overnight leader Shane Lowry – who took a two-stroke lead into the third round – was unable to show the same courage as Brown down the stretch.
The 2019 Open champion wasted shots on the 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th.
So the Irishman known as an excellent leader fell from the dizzying heights of eight under par to one under – and found himself back in the chasing pack.
Mistakes were almost inevitable as heavy rain combined with enough wind to keep the players guessing allowed Troon to show their teeth to the later starters. But not so many mistakes.
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Players eliminated at the end of the day had a right to feel a little aggrieved, as those who couldn’t do the heavy lifting in the first two rounds received a big favor from the golf gods.
Calm conditions at the start of the game led to an excess of early scores in the mid-60s.
That lifted the likes of American duo Russell Henley, Sam Burns and South African Thriston Lawrence from two and three over par to three under – and into a share of second place.
They must have loved sitting in the players’ room watching the leaders come back to them.
US Open champion Xander Schauffele also shot a late 69 to complete the six-pack that will begin the final day at two under.
It will be interesting to see how the early starters perform when the heat really hits.
Even more interesting will be finding out if Dan Brown can complete an open-ended story that even his novelist of the same name would hesitate to write.
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Who are the most famous Wags in golf?
The world’s best golfers enjoy an incredible lifestyle – and their Wags lead their own exciting lives.
Here are some of the best known beauties…
- A master golfer rushed home after his latest triumph to be by his wife’s side as she gave birth to their first child.
- Playing with a handicap of three, this sports reporter could give her friend a run for her money on the greens.
- This low-key beauty married a superstar golfer in front of Stevie Wonder, Chris Martin and Niall Horan.
- A former gymnast who has been her husband’s rock for 14 years – he even pays tribute to her on his golf balls.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
