Dan Brown was hustling through the grind of the moving day at the PGA Championship, but somewhere between the 12th hole and a three-birdie closing stretch, he also found time to smoke a cigarette with two fans. It became a moment that made the golf world talk.
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.”
Brown had entered Round 3 at +2 overall after a 68 in Round 1 and a difficult 75 in Round 2. He was still sitting at +2 through the front nine of Saturday’s round. He stopped for a cigarette and a selfie at 12th, bogeyed 15th, and then birdied 16th, 17th, and 18th to close with an even-par 70.
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. pic.twitter.com/lyZb6HwpAN
— Casey Halpern (@CaseyHalp) May 16, 2026
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. He spoke about it afterward candidly.
“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 pro called cigarettes his coping mechanism and said that he mostly only smokes when he is on the golf course.
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.
