Open rookie Daniel Brown is one shot back with 18 holes to go, but he keeps handling whatever pressure arises.
Daniel Brown’s persistence continues to pay off at The Open as the first-time participant remains in contention ahead of championship Sunday.
He was one of the main storylines of Saturday’s round as a short video of Brown went viral for smoking a dart and taking selfies with fans.
His Cinderella story is not over as he sits one shot behind the leader, Billy Horschel. The former Florida Gator signed for a 2-under 69 to sit at 4-under overall.
Brown carded a 2-over 73 for his third round, which included five birdies, five bogeys, and a double-bogey on the 18th.
He did not finish well, but for the most part, Brown managed the pressure well enough to stay in the hunt.
“Proud of how I handled myself, but a bit of a sting on them last two holes through not hitting a bad golf shot,” Brown said.
“Links golf got the better of me on them two holes.”
It may be his first major Championship, but Brown chose not to focus on that. Keeping that pressure off his chest has allowed him to stay comfortable.
“It’s not a normal week, but I feel like mentally I’ve been in a place where I’ve treated it like a normal week on the DP World Tour,” he said.
“I’ve not made it feel any bigger than what it is, and it is a lot bigger. I think I can have a good go tomorrow.”
Brown voiced his opinion of the course setup like his playing partner Shane Lowry, who led after 54 holes but unraveled down the back nine. Dustin Johnson also explained how difficult that stretch of golf was.
How hard was that back nine? Players used drivers on multiple holes that generally require a mid- or long-iron.
“There were two or three of those par-4s I couldn’t even get to,” Brown explained.
“Hit driver on 17. Course setup probably wasn’t thought about too much this morning when that weather came in. We got the wrong end of the draw, but we were up there to begin with anyway.”
The Open qualifier has not had the best year. Brown missed eight cuts in a row before he finished 61st last week at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Many players would fold under this kind of pressure, but not Brown. He knows his experiences can help him during a week like The Open.
“I suppose a lot of people probably thought I was going to be shaking this morning and nervous, but I’ve been absolutely fine,” Brown said.
“I am quite a calm, relaxed person anyway, but I think I’ve had enough experiences on the DP World Tour and sort of my journey through golf to know how to handle these situations. I’ve failed before, and I think that’s what’s stood me in good stead for being here.”
The 29-year-old will play with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for the final 18 holes at The Open Championship. They tee off at 8:55 a.m. ET.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
