English golfer Daniel Brown became an instant fan favorite at the PGA Championship on Saturday, after stopping mid-round to share a cigarette with his fans.
Brown has become well-known for smoking on the course, famously lighting up while leading The Open at Royal Troon back in 2024.
And he was back at it at Aronimink on Saturday, stopping between the 12th and 13th holes for an already-iconic photo with two smoking fans.
In the snap, posted by X user Casey Halpern, Brown and two fans all stare down the lens of the camera with a cigarette in their mouth.
The caption alongside the post reads: ‘Nothing quite like a mid round moving day dart with Downtown Dan Brown after his 12th hole.
‘There may be no bigger legend on the tour. A true man of the people.’Â
English golfer Daniel Brown stopped to smoke a cigarette with fans at the PGA Championship
Brown’s mid-round ‘dart’ seemingly helped his game as he followed it up with three birdies
Brown has previously spoken openly about the unhealthy habit being a ‘coping mechanism’ for the nerves he suffers while playing in big tournaments.
Back in 2024 at The Open, he said he was ‘sneaking’ a cigarette or two into his golf rounds, calling it ‘a bit of a bad habit that I’ve got into’.Â
On Saturday, the moment he stopped after the 12th hole appeared to help calm his nerves again, after he went on to make birdie on each of his last three holes to shoot an even-par 70 for the day.
He had endured an early double bogey on the third hole to plummet down the leaderboard, but his late resurgence brought him back up to T53rd.
At The Open in 2024, he was spotted sneaking a cigarette to calm his nerves on the tee box
While he is extremely unlikely to trouble the leaders on the final day in Pennsylvania, Sunday will mark a new highlight for the Englishman – who until now had never played in a major outside of the UK.
His 2024 Troon appearance, in which he finished in a tie for 10th, marked his biggest career moment to date, but he went on to miss the cut in 2025 at Portrush.
He has never played in the US Open or Masters, and is making his debut in the PGA Championship at Aronimink.Â
