Back in February, Dan Rapaport brought Daniel Brown onto his “Dan on Golf” YouTube show and jokingly titled the episode: “The next John Daly?” Well, after what happened during Saturday’s third round at the 2026 PGA Championship, that comparison suddenly makes a whole lot of sense. 

Brown’s day didn’t start the best. He opened with three straight pars before immediately losing his momentum with a double bogey on the fourth. After that came, there was a stretch where nothing seemed to happen. Ten straight pars, no birdies and no momentum. But then came the most Daniel Brown moment. 

At the 12th hole, two fans somehow convinced Brown to stop for a selfie during an active round of a major championship. This is already absurd on its own, and here is the kicker, this was not a normal picture. All three guys in the frame, yes Brown included, were smoking cigarettes together and posed for the photo. Yes. During the PGA Championship, the fan posted it online. 

Casey Halpern (@CaseyHalp) shared the photo on X, writing, “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.”

Well it is surprising, because modern golf is extremely polished and media trained, nothing like Brown. Also most pros barely acknowledge fans during competitive rounds, especially on a Saturday at a major. And the crazier part is that that ciggy break might have worked. 

After yet another bogey on the 15th, he caught on fire. He then birdied 16th, 17th, and 18th to close with an even-par 70. Nevertheless, at this point Brown’s smoking habit has become a part of his identity. 

This was not the first time the camera caught Brown mid-smoke at a major event. At The Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2024, broadcast cameras picked him up lighting cigarettes multiple times during his round. Earlier this season at the WM Phoenix Open, he went viral again after casually handing a pack of cigarettes to a fan near the ropes.  And as strange as it might look, he has been pretty open about why he does it. 

Back  in 2024, he admitted that its more of a coping mechanism “I was trying to sneak. My mom and dad are here. There are a lot of people watching. I don’t know how people are going to take it.”

The PGA Tour’s code prohibits consuming alcohol or marijuana during rounds without pre-approved medical authorization, but cigarettes are not covered, meaning Dan Brown was not in breach of any official rule.

Dan Brown has made 8 of 15 cuts this season, earning $757,401 in official money. Before that, he had two international wins, the 2023 ISPS Handa World Invitational and the 2025 BMW International Open.

However, none of this made the fans approve of the cigarette moment.

Fans divided over Dan Brown’s mid-round smoke break

The photo split the internet cleanly between those who found it refreshing and those who found it embarrassing. The reactions reflected both sides without much middle ground.

“So sick,” wrote one fan.

“Dan Brown just got himself a new fan,” commented one person.

“Why Dan will never win: smoking, and you aren’t a serious athlete,” came another response.

Brown officially joined the PGA Tour in December 2025, earning dual membership for the 2026 season through his 17th spot on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings. So far, he has zero PGA Tour victories, zero top-5 finishes, and has made only 8 of 15 cuts in the 2026 season.

“This f—— rules,” said another fan.

“Gritty,” read another reaction.

Well, not everyone paid attention to him smoking mid-round.

“I don’t know much, but I do know that I like the cut of this lad Mr. Brown’s jib. What a guy!” was another comment.

Dan Brown will enter Sunday at +3 and four shots off the pace, carrying a scorecard, a cigarette, and the internet’s full attention.