The unconventional Englishman opened with a four-under-par 66 at a scorched Royal Birkdale, reviving memories of his 2024 breakthrough while prompting questions about smoking in dangerously dry conditions.
SOUTHPORT, England — Daniel Brown returned to familiar territory at the Open Championship on Thursday, combining precise links golf with the on-course smoking habit that has become an unlikely part of his public identity.
The 31-year-old Englishman carded a four-under-par 66 during the opening round at Royal Birkdale, briefly sharing the lead with South Korea’s Im Sung-jae before American debutant Jackson Suber moved ahead with a 65. Brown’s performance placed him firmly among the early contenders at the final men’s major of the season.
His seven-birdie round was an impressive display on a fast, firm course where dry fairways and increasingly difficult afternoon winds punished even minor errors. Defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened with a 68, while Bryson DeChambeau finished one stroke behind Brown on 67.
Yet Brown’s golf was not the only reason he attracted attention.
Television cameras again captured him smoking during the round, a routine rarely seen in modern professional golf but one that accompanied his unexpected challenge at Royal Troon two years ago. Brown later estimated that he had smoked seven or eight cigarettes while completing his opening 18 holes.
Under ordinary circumstances, the sight might have been treated as little more than an eccentric detail. At Royal Birkdale, however, prolonged heat and extremely dry ground have created a heightened fire risk. Players, spectators and officials have been urged to exercise particular care around the course.
Asked whether he was permitted to smoke, Brown said he had been making certain that every cigarette was properly extinguished. His answer reflected an awareness that a discarded ember could pose a genuine danger among the parched rough and dunes.
The combination of cigarettes and elite competition gives Brown the appearance of a golfer from another era. Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and numerous other champions were regularly photographed smoking during tournaments, before changing attitudes toward health and athletic preparation made the practice increasingly uncommon.
Brown makes no attempt to present the habit as part of a carefully constructed image. He has previously described smoking as a means of managing tension during competition, although its visibility has helped establish him as one of professional golf’s more recognisable outsiders.
His relaxed appearance can obscure the quality of his game.
Brown first became widely known at the 2024 Open at Royal Troon, where he entered the championship ranked 272nd in the world and led after an opening 65. He remained in contention deep into the weekend before finishing tied for 10th in his major-championship debut.
That result was initially treated as a classic Open surprise: an unfamiliar player producing inspired golf on links terrain before returning to relative anonymity. Brown has since strengthened his credentials, winning twice on the DP World Tour and demonstrating that his Troon performance was not simply a fortunate week.
His return to contention at Royal Birkdale therefore carries a different significance. He is no longer an unknown qualifier playing without expectations. Brown now understands the pressure of appearing near the top of a major leaderboard and believes he is better prepared to remain there.
The opening round contained evidence to support that confidence. Brown remained composed despite the hard-running surfaces, taking advantage of scoring opportunities while avoiding the destructive mistakes that can quickly end a challenge at an Open Championship.
He birdied the 17th to reach four under and then safely negotiated the demanding final hole, which played among the most difficult on the course during the morning session. His 66 matched Im’s early clubhouse target and confirmed that the Englishman’s game remains particularly well suited to links conditions.
Royal Birkdale’s appearance has been transformed by the weather. The green, softer course on which Jordan Spieth won in 2017 has given way to brown, fiery fairways where the ball can travel considerable distances after landing. Such conditions reward imagination, controlled trajectories and an ability to accept unpredictable bounces.
They also make patience essential. Brown said the practice rounds had convinced him that the course would provide a significant mental test and expressed satisfaction with the discipline he showed during his opening performance.
Maintaining that discipline will become more difficult as the championship develops.
Suber’s 65 demonstrated that low scoring remained possible, while Scheffler, DeChambeau, Robert MacIntyre, Francesco Molinari and several other experienced contenders finished close enough to apply immediate pressure. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, endured putting problems and opened with a two-over-par 72.
An early position on the leaderboard guarantees little at the Open, where weather changes can transform the course between morning and afternoon tee times. Brown experienced that reality at Troon, gradually slipping from the lead as the championship became more demanding.
This time, expectations will be higher. His recent victories, improved ranking and prior major experience mean that another strong opening cannot be dismissed merely as a novelty.
Neither, however, can the contrast surrounding him.
Brown is competing in one of golf’s most physically and psychologically demanding tournaments while maintaining a habit associated with an earlier sporting age. His cigarettes may help him preserve a familiar rhythm, but they have also become an unavoidable talking point on a course where a single spark could have serious consequences.
For the moment, Brown’s golf remains the more important story. His 66 placed him one shot from the lead and offered further evidence that his unconventional exterior contains a player capable of challenging the world’s best.
Whether he can remain near the top through Sunday is uncertain. What is already clear is that Daniel Brown has once again found a way to make himself impossible to ignore at the Open.
