The wind caught just about everyone off guard Thursday in the British Open. It came from the opposite direction off the Irish Sea, accompanied by occasional rain, and made Royal Troon a tougher test than anyone was expecting.
Daniel Brown made his major championship debut a memorable one. He birdied two of the last three holes for a 6-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead over Shane Lowry with just enough spectators left in the Scottish twilight to celebrate his amazing day.
At 29, the English golfer is focusing on keeping his feet on the ground despite the early lead. \"I'm going to try and keep my feet on the ground a bit and take on the job again tomorrow,\" Brown said.
A one-time winner on the European tour, Brown arrived at Royal Troon having failed to make the cut in seven straight tournaments dating back to March until securing spots in the final qualifying and the Scottish Open, where he finished 61st.
Thursday was dominated by the fierce wind, which posed challenges from start to finish, unlike previous days where players struggled primarily on the back nine. Rory McIlroy shot a 78 with double bogeys, Bryson DeChambeau went out in 42 and finished with a 76, and Tiger Woods had a 79, his highest start in a major since 2015.
Shane Lowry maintained steady play, leveraging his experience with windy conditions from playing at Royal Troon two weeks prior. \"I saw the golf course in every wind possible I could see it,\" Lowry said. \"Yeah, I guess that was a good thing to do, and it's out there paying off a little bit today.\"
Reference(s):
Brown makes late birdies for a 1-shot lead over Lowry in British Open
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