English golfer Dan Brown has assured officials and spectators that he is taking extra precautions when disposing of his cigarettes during The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The 31-year-old admitted to smoking 'seven or eight' times on Thursday while carding an impressive four-under-par 66 in his opening round. His comments come amidst heightened concerns over fire risks due to the exceptionally dry conditions on the Merseyside course.
The Royal Birkdale links are currently parched and brown, a direct result of the sustained hot weather experienced across the region. This dry spell coincides with a period of significant wildfire activity across the UK, with emergency services declaring incidents in various areas including north Wales, Derbyshire, Hampshire, and the South Downs over recent weeks. An expert recently highlighted to the BBC that the national wildfire risk is currently at an unprecedented level.
Despite the prevailing conditions, the R&A, organisers of the 154th Open Championship, has not imposed a ban on smoking at the event. However, all individuals attending – including players, staff, and spectators – have been explicitly reminded to ensure all finished cigarettes are disposed of safely and thoroughly extinguished. Brown, who was a first-round leader at the 2024 Open at Troon, stated, "I've been making sure that they're out," acknowledging the importance of his actions.
Brown attributed his smoking habit to rising stress levels during play, humorously adding that he felt compelled to apologise to his mother for it. He also reflected on his younger years when he encouraged his father to quit smoking, only to adopt the habit himself later. Despite his sheepishness regarding the habit, Brown's composure on the course was evident in his strong performance, which saw him recover from a bogey on the fourth hole with birdies on the eighth and ninth, followed by five more on the back nine.
His 66 placed him in a tie for the morning lead with South Korea's Im Sung-jae, though American Jackson Suber later claimed the clubhouse lead with a five-under score, battling windier conditions in the afternoon. Brown's focus will now shift to maintaining his strong form and managing the pressures of the championship, while remaining mindful of the environmental conditions.