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Daniel Brown might be one of those players who can’t match Xander Schauffele’s spectacular final-round performance at Royal Troon, but his top-10 finish could have a big impact on his career.
Brown, who finished one shot behind the leader on the final day of his first major championship as a professional, will take home £246,000 – a life-changing week for the 29-year-old.
His previous highest prize was just under £200,000 for winning the ISPS Handa World Invitational in 2023. That was his only DP World Tour title to date, but his results in the Open will also have a huge impact on his career, especially in the short term.
Perhaps most importantly, finishing in the top ten guarantees a player a spot in next year’s tournament, so Brown will head to Royal Portrush in 2025 looking to better his result this year.
If he continues to perform well, he may also earn a PGA Tour card, as he will be among the top 50 in the Dubai World Tour Race to Dubai. If he finishes among the top 10 non-exempt players in the Dubai World Tour, he could potentially earn a PGA Tour card, with his next tournament coming at the Czech Masters in Prague next month.
Brown was ranked 272nd in the world before Thursday's tournament, but his impressive performance — he shot 65, 72, 73 and 74 to finish even par — means he is on track to earn 14 ranking points. His best finish is 187th, but he could be in the top 150.
Despite finishing nine shots behind eventual champion Zayn Ofiller, Brown said it was “something I'll be very happy about when I think back on it, I guess.”
“If you tell me [he would finish in the top ten] At the beginning of the week, I would obviously be very happy.
“On the back nine, I was a little concerned about Portrush. Obviously, I was out of contention early, so that bothered me a little bit. But in terms of ball-striking, it didn’t really affect me.
He added: “It’s huge for my confidence.”
“I injured my knee a while ago and was out for seven weeks and haven't really gotten back into shape since. It's nice to get another good result.”
