Although Daniel Brown was one of 158 players who failed to catch 2024 Open champion Xander Schauffele at Royal Troon this week, he still had a great time on the course in western Scotland.
The English player, who also competed in the European Men's Professional Golf third-tier event as recently as 2021, was in the lead going into the fourth round after a strong start to the tournament but fell behind after a disappointing first nine-hole performance on Sunday.
Still, he stayed calm, finished with a flawless performance and ultimately earned a top-10 finish in his first major championship appearance — despite a bogey on the 72nd hole.
The late upset was also good news for Adam Scott and Matthew Jordan, with Brown tied for 10th place with the Australian and Briton.
While Brown won’t be able to experience all the benefits of winning the Open, he will gain the following from this fantastic week.
The 153rd British Open
Royal Portrush 10th Hole
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As mentioned, Brown finished in the top ten at Royal Troon, meaning he has secured a spot in the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush.
The R&A offered the top 10 finishers and ties a spot in the next tournament, giving Brown a chance to unexpectedly win the Claret Jug for a second time.
Brown’s scores of 65, 72, 73 and 74 in Scotland put him even par for the tournament and one of only 12 players to tie or better.
He admitted that he was a little tempted to try to qualify for the Royal Portrush Championship towards the end of the back nine, as his chances of winning had long since faded. “Yeah, I was a little tempted on the back nine,” Brown said. “Obviously, I gave up early on. So that bothered me a little bit. But it didn't really affect me as far as hitting the ball and everything else.”
Highest salary in career
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Brown will receive around £350,000 ($450,000) in total Open Championship prize money for his week at Royal Troon, a significant increase from the approximately £197,476 ($255,090) he received for winning the ISPS Handa World Invitational in August 2023.
This was the British player’s only victory on the DP World Tour to date, and while that tournament undoubtedly changed his life, the prize money he won at Royal Troon would change his life again and become the most important victory of his career.
It also helps his teenage brother, who served as Daniel's caddie this week, something Daniel mentioned in his post-match press conference on Sunday. “He's getting paid a pretty good salary. Not bad for a 19-year-old,” he said.
World ranking improvement
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The 29-year-old is expected to gain about 14 points in the Official World Golf Ranking System following his T10 finish at the Open, which would move him well above his current No. 272.
His best ranking was 187th, and it seems likely that he will surpass that record in the coming days. Brown may even be able to break into the top 150 in the world rankings.
Dubai Open points are huge
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Brown is on track to finish inside the top 50 of the DP World Tour Race to Dubai after a fantastic week at Royal Troon. He was ranked 75th before hitting the west coast of Scotland, but that is about to change in a big way.
The major tournament will offer 10,000 Race to Dubai points and the Northallerton, England native will be up for a good portion of those points after having the best day of his career to date.
