Daniel Brown, who began the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Troon tied for second place, ultimately finished in 10th position.
Despite not being able to match Xander Schauffele’s outstanding final-round performance, Brown’s top-10 finish marks a pivotal moment in his career.
Brown, 29, entered the final day of the tournament just one shot behind the leader, competing in his first major event. His impressive finish earned him £246,000 in prize money, significantly surpassing his previous highest prize of nearly £200,000 from his win at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in 2023.
This top-10 finish not only enhances his career prospects in the short term but also guarantees him a place in next year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
A solid performance in future tournaments could see Brown secure a spot on the PGA Tour as he climbs the ranks in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai. A top-50 finish in this race could potentially lead to earning a PGA Tour card if he ends the season among the DP World Tour’s top-10 non-exempt finishers. His next opportunity will come at the Czech Masters in Prague next month.
Starting the tournament ranked 272nd in the world, Brown’s consistent play—scoring rounds of 65, 72, 73, and 74 to finish at level par—has earned him 14 ranking points, potentially moving him into the top 150 from his previous best ranking of 187.
Reflecting on his performance, Brown expressed satisfaction, stating:
“When I reflect on it, I’ll be very pleased. If you would have told me at the start of the week that I would finish in the top ten, I would have been very pleased.”
He added that despite some distraction from thinking about Portrush during the back nine, it did not affect his shot-making. Brown also mentioned his recent recovery from a knee injury, which kept him out for seven weeks, making this strong result a significant boost to his confidence.
