SMOKIN’ hot Dan Brown is still in the hunt for the Claret Jug on his Open debut — despite a late wobble.
The unknown Yorkshireman, 29, dropped three shots in his final two holes as American – and West Ham fan – Billy Horschel grabbed the lead.
But Brown eased the pressure of chasing the most famous trophy in golf with sneaky ciggies throughout his third round.
The world No 272 enters Sunday’s final round at Royal Troon joint-second — a shot behind Horschel.
Brown, on his first major appearance – tried to keep his puffing private by crouching behind his caddie, brother Ben, when he lit up.
And he said: “The cigarettes are just a bit of a bad habit I have got into. I only really do it when I am golfing so could be a coping mechanism.
“I was trying to sneak them in really. My mum and dad are here, a lot of people are watching and I don’t know how they will take it.
“It’s a bit nasty to finish like that. The way I have handled myself I think I can have a right go.”
Brown certainly left the crowd gasping, recovering from a dropped shot on the first with a quick-fire birdie hat-trick.
And as conditions deteriorated Brown — hoping to become the first Englishman to win The Open since Nick Faldo in 1992 — was the coolest man in town.
By DAVID FACEY
DAN BROWN’S family should have warned him smoking would give him a coffin fit, sooner rather than later.
And a visit to the dreaded Coffin bunker could easily have sounded the death knell for his hopes of becoming an unlikely Open champion.
He made a bogey after finding the sand which guards the par-three Postage Stamp eighth-hole at Troon.
That was quickly followed by another at the tenth — and it looked as though the 29-year-old’s chances of winning a Major at the first attempt were going up in smoke.
But the Yorkshireman with a liking for the odd fag — especially when he thinks the TV cameras are not trained on him — breathed new life into his challenge with a gritty run over the fearsome closing stretch.
Brown has been either first or second on the leaderboard for all three days of the Open. But most people walking away from the course were asking the same question — who is this man?
As a youngster, the qualifier from Northallerton was regarded as one of the less gifted members of a powerful Yorkshire junior squad — spearheaded by 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. But it turned out he was simply a late bloomer.
After turning professional seven years ago he struggled on the second and third-tier tournaments, before scraping onto the main European circuit, the DP World Tour, two years ago.
A breakthrough victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational 11 months ago cemented his place on the Tour.
But his form coming into the Open was pretty shocking. Six missed cuts in a row were followed by a share of 61st place in last week’s Scottish Open.
So it was no wonder he was such a big outsider before his first-round 65.
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He started as a 750-1 outsider but now tops the likes of world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and long-time pacesetter Shane Lowry.
He is alongside Justin Rose on three-under-par and four others after dropping three shots in his final two holes, including a double-bogey at the 18th hole following a cruel break off the tee.
Brown said: “That finish is why it’s a little bit deflating. I have ground it out and through not even hitting a bad shot you’ve dropped three. Neither of them were bad tee shots.
“So a bit frustrating but at the start of the week if you had told me I would be one or two off the lead going into the final round of the Open, I would have snapped 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 both Horschel and his playing partner Rose, spent most of the round seemingly impersonating teenage skateboarders, with their caps turned round back to front.
Not a good look for two golfers with a combined age of 80!
Horschel, 37, is a huge Hammers’ enthusiast with the club logo printed on his golf bag, and is a close pal of former Irons captains Mark Noble and Declan Rice.
So he will get a free pass from West Ham fans, at least.
Rose was not at his best. But he also ground out a two-over-par 73, and he is also in the logjam at three under par.
Horschel said: “That’s the best round I have ever played in a major.
“I’ve worked my entire life to be in this position. Have wanted to be here my entire life and I am embracing it.
“I have envisaged myself holding the trophy, walking out to the crowd and being congratulated as Open champion.
“That is what I will do again tonight.”
Meanwhile overnight leader Shane Lowry – who took a two-shot lead into the third round – failed to show the same mettle as Brown down the finishing stretch.
The 2019 Open champion frittered away shots at the 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th AND the 18th.
So the Irishman renowned as a terrific frontrunner slipped from the giddy 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 just enough wind to keep the players guessing allowed Troon to show its teeth to the later starters. But not that many mistakes.
The players out later in the day were entitled to feel a bit hard done by as the ones who failed to do the heavy lifting in the first two rounds were granted a huge favour by the golfing gods.
Flat calm conditions at the start of play led to a glut 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.
They must have loved sitting in the players’ lounge watching the leaders come back to them.
US Open champion Xander Schauffele also shot 69 late in the day to round out the six-pack who will start the final day on two under.
It will be interesting to see how those early starters perform when the heat is really on.
Even more interesting will be finding out whether Dan Brown can complete an Open story even his novelist namesake would hesitate to write.
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