Outsider Dan Brown gives himself every chance to bring home public bacon | The Open

Eighteen holes stand between Dan Brown and one of the greatest sports upsets of our time.

Before the Royal Troon hit, little was known about the 750-1 outsider outside of golf’s windbreaker ranks. No wonder; Brown was ranked 272nd in the world when he arrived in Ayrshire. His last eight finishes include one retirement, six cuts and a tie for 61st. Who knew the bearded, chain-smoking son of a Yorkshire pig farmer could take home the bacon in an open competition? There are hints of Todd Hamilton here, who won the title at Troon in 2004. Brown should be completely uncomfortable with such an environment. Instead, he took it like a pig…

While Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, Ludwig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood bowed out after 36 holes, Brown continued to write the typical Underdog story. His smooth, rhythmic swing held steady through the brutal final stretch, until the final hole when an iron was pulled and hit the sand, triggering a double bogey. Billy Horschel leads the way, one shot ahead at 4 under.

Brown’s 65 in the tournament was met with disdain in some quarters (perhaps including this one). It is widely believed that the 29-year-old will soon be forgotten as major brands vie for the Claret Jug. Chicago’s ghettos were filled with guys who won major championships after 18 holes. By the third day of play, Brown was back at the top of the leaderboard. At this point—on a good day, when old Mr. Brown wouldn’t let his animals out—he had Sean Lowry and Raging Horschel for company. History favors guys like Horschel and Brown. Five of the previous six Troon Opens were won by players who had not won a major championship before. Horschel, a Florida native, went so far as to wear shirt sleeves on one of the coldest days of the summer. The third round is about mental fortitude. In the end, thanks to a late faux pas, Brown was among the six at three under.

A dramatic moment occurred in the pouring rain. Brown’s errant tee shot on the seventh hole nearly knocked out world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who was one hole ahead. The Yorkshireman steadied himself and made birdie. Brown and Lowry both found a greenside bunker near Stamps. Lowry led by three after just one hole but now suffered a double bogey. Brown’s four points mean he’s tied for first. Lowry never fully recovered and shot 7-plus over his final 11 holes. It was a shabby 77, which meant Lowry was three strokes shy of Horschel.

Lowry got a big break in the 11th hole when his second shot hit a member of the public in the leg and bounced into good position. Without this, the 2019 championship ball would have been in the gorse bushes. Lowry still couldn’t save his par. The three-way tie remained. In less than an hour, the shot count dropped from eight under to minus-five. Brown finished sixth with an easy birdie on the 12th hole. Lowry again made a mistake, which meant Horschel was the one closest to a leader. Horschel bogeyed the 18th hole to drop to 4 under, but his 69 was still enough to take the 54-hole lead after Brown shot three on the final two holes.

Ten years ago, Brown tweeted that he could “happily quit golf tomorrow.” He reportedly applied for a job at the supermarket around the same time. Here he is, weathering the elements and hanging out with some of the best golfers on the planet. Talk about making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. The galleries here have a great appreciation for Brown’s work, and their unexpected heroes. It’s worth noting that Brown’s situation was tragic when he claimed a solo victory in Northern Ireland last year by five shots on the DP World Tour.

Justin Thomas was two under par before bad weather hit after lunch. Thomas lost two strokes over the final six holes, but he’s hopeful going into Sunday’s match. “It’s a crazy sport and a lot of things can happen in a lot of conditions,” said Thomas, who shot a second-round 78. “But I guess that’s what I signed up for.”

Thriston Lawrence, Sam Burns and Russell Henley benefited greatly from the morning kick-off times. Even before so many golfers returned to their side, the trio was still three under and firmly in the mix. Justin Rose tied the total with a 73 after a late par. Scheffler was one shot behind after a 71. Although Kim Si Woo withdrew from the competition, he celebrated a hole-in-one on the 17th. All eyes are on Brown, though. Can he sustain his fairytale challenge? Pigs may fly.