Dan Brown shot a second-round 71 at Royal Birkdale while smoking nine or ten cigarettes to remain five shots off the lead on Friday. The son of a pig farmer started the day one stroke behind first-day leader Jackson Suber after an opening round of 66, in which he smoked seven or eight cigarettes to finish at four under par.
Brown lit his first cigarette before even leaving the opening tee box on Friday. His playing partner needed to hit a third ball to get his round started, giving Brown extra nervous energy. "Get one sparked up, Browny lad," a spectator shouted from behind the yellow rope in a local twang as Brown walked into the rough with a Marlboro in his mouth.
When Brown found his ball in the rough, he placed the cigarette butt on the grass and doused it with water to avoid setting the dry course ablaze. Scorched conditions on the links led officials to tell players and spectators to be vigilant about putting out cigarettes throughout the weekend.
Daily Mail Sport reported that Brown had smoked five cigarettes across the first nine holes, lighting one on every odd-numbered hole. Each time, he flicked the remnants into the long grass and covered them with water. "Maybe nine or ten today," Brown smiled after his round, adding, "There's a lot of stress out there."
Second Round Highlights and Errors
Brown's second-round 71 included four bogeys, two birdies, and an eagle. On the seventh hole, he three-putted from four feet for a double bogey, which dropped him off the leaderboard screens as Lucas Herbert equalled the course record. Brown surprisingly did not squeeze in another cigarette on the eighth hole following that double bogey.
He bounced back on the 17th hole by hitting his shot to eight feet from 230 yards away and holing the eagle putt to move back to four under par. However, he hit a fairway bunker on the 18th hole and missed a 15-foot par putt to bogey the last. "Bogeying the last was obviously a bit sour but, on the whole, I don't think I had my best stuff today," Brown said. "A pretty average day all round. I think most of the guys that have made the cut are still right in it with a good one tomorrow. Hopefully, I can get back in the mix."
Fan Reactions and Golf History
Spectators at Royal Birkdale cheered Brown as he moved through his round. As he walked off the seventh tee with a dart in hand, one fan asked his friend, "Is he having a snout?" before adding, "I love it. A man of the people." Brown also signed a spectator's cigarette packet along the way.
On the ninth hole, another fan shouted, "Give us a fag, Dan." Brown had shared cigarettes with spectators in the past, but he declined this time. "I needed them," he said. Brown, who finished tied for 10th at Royal Troon two years ago, enjoyed another cigarette as he walked down the 18th fairway.
Brown's habit recalled past eras of professional golf, when Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer enjoyed a drag during their rounds, and John Daly could see off more than 20 across 18 holes. Charley Hull also went viral at the 2024 Women's US Open with a cigarette in her mouth, leading fans to ask her to sign their cigarettes. "On the whole, people seem to love it, don't they," Brown said. "Strange, really. It's not very common nowadays. I think 20, 30, 40 years ago it was a really common thing. But it's died out of the game."
