NORTHALLERTON'S Dan Brown had mixed emotions after his memorable Open debut ended with him in a share of 10th place and a guaranteed spot in next year's event at Royal Portrush.
The unheralded Yorkshireman went into the final day at Royal Troon with a chance of claiming an unlikely victory after an outstanding first three rounds.
The 29-year-old, a member at Romanby was ranked 272nd in the world ahead of his major debut, but led after shooting 65 on Thursday and stayed near the top of the leaderboard all week before fading with a three-over-par 74 on Sunday.
His hopes were effectively dashed after five bogeys on the front nine and he eventually finished on level par, nine strokes behind winner Xander Schauffele.
Brown said: “If you would have told me this at the start of the week, obviously I would have been very pleased, but I wanted to do better and be higher up the board.
“At the minute there’s probably a little bit more disappointment but when I reflect on it, I’ll be obviously very pleased, I would have thought.
“But it was just the front nine – I didn’t quite get it going all week, really.”
Brown stayed in a house near Troon with some friends over the course of the week and credited them with helping him keep his feet on the ground during his run in the tournament.
Another Englishman left with mixed emotions was Justin Rose after he came up just short in his bid to become the first Englishman to win the Open since 1992 on Sunday.
Rose hit a brilliant 67 on Sunday but came up two short of brilliant Schauffele, who fired a flawless final round 65.
“I was gutted when I walked off the course and it hit me hard because I was so strong out there," said former US Open and Olympic champion Rose.
“I won second place, I won points, I won prizes, FedExCup points, all that stuff too. At that point, you’re being a professional. Then I walk 10 steps later and I’m choking back tears.
“But in terms of how I played and the execution of my emotions, my mindset, I left it all out there. I’m super proud of how I competed.
“The deal I made with myself was to come off with no regrets. Obviously, I’ll have a few more chances but you know that this was a great opportunity and you want to walk off the golf course going ‘Yeah, I didn’t squander that’.
“But I felt super comfortable out there, which the fact that I haven’t really been in contention much this year, that gives me a lot of heart.”
Rose has three top 10s and four missed cuts in his last seven majors, including a joint sixth at May’s US PGA – which was also won by Schauffele.
That has given the Ryder Cup winner the belief he can compete at the highest level against the young guns for some time longer.
“The PGA Championship at Valhalla on a golf course that probably shouldn’t suit me that well – a bomber’s paradise – I got myself right in the mix there until a couple of late bogeys but I was in the hunt right there as well, back nine Sunday,” he added.
“Two major championships this year – strongest fields in golf. They’ve been my two best weeks.
“That’s what I’m gunning for. That’s what I’m working hard for, is to have these big-time moments in my career.
“I felt like Rome (for the Ryder Cup) was one of them a few months back. I put that up there in terms of what it meant to me, in terms of what I’m looking for toward the end of my career.”
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