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Dan Brown keeping his feet on the ground after Open breakout
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Dan Brown keeping his feet on the ground after Open breakout

Dan Brown insists he is not putting any more pressure on himself as he tees it up for the first time since his Open Championship heroics at this week's D+D REAL Czech Masters.

The Englishman made a name for himself on the international stage at Royal Troon, leading after the opening round, going out in the final group alongside 2019 champion Shane Lowry on day three and sealing a top ten finish in an eventful week in Scotland.

Having had three weeks for the dust to settle, Brown now looks back on the week with even more fondness than when he was playing and, while he admits it is encouraging to know he can compete with the best, his outlook has not changed.

"It's obviously very positive and I probably look back at it with more fond memories than when I was actually there," he said. "You get a bit engrossed in the whole atmosphere and you're playing and you're there and you're trying to do a job.

"Since, I've probably actually enjoyed it more than when I was there so it's quite nice, it's been nice to reflect and hopefully we create some more (memories) next year.

"I think I learned that I can hold my own under the biggest pressure and against tghe best players and I felt comfortable. It didn't feel like I was playing in a Major, it just felt like a normal golf tournament, which was nice.

"It didn't feel any bigger than a DP World Tour event would feel. Obviously you feel a bit of pressure but it was just the same as when you're in contention out here.

"I'm not putting any more pressure on it than I would do normally, just go out and see what happens and hopefully at the end of the week you're there or thereabouts."

After claiming a first DP World Tour win last season at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics, Brown's star is now very much on the rise as he arrives at PGA National OAKS Prague.

Sitting 56th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, he can still achieve much this season on the Back 9 and into the DP World Tour play-offs, although he is happy to just play his golf and see what happens.

"I don't set goals," he said. "I find I put too much pressure on myself and if I don't achieve those goals then I get a little bit aggravated and more frustrated than I normally would so I just try and enjoy it," he said.

"You go one shot at a time and as long as you invest 100 per cent into each golf shot, that's all you can do."

And it is not just Brown's golf that is winning him attention from new audiences, his decision to stop for a selfie with some fans while walking down the 54th hole in the lead at The Open went viral.

"That sort of stuff doesn't affect me," he said.

"Golfing-wise you can quite easily just switch off when you're walking between shots and do that sort of thing so long as it doesn't slow your playing partner down.

"Once you get into a shot, regardless of whether you're taking a selfie or anything it doesn't really matter too much. It was a nice little moment I suppose and people have enjoyed it."

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