BMW International Open Live: Daniel Brown Leads Jordan Smith In Germany

PUTTING WOES

Smith dribbles his birdie putt short and left of the hole. That’s not going to get it done. Brown did have three or four feet still to go, so a birdie would have made his knees knock, but both walk away with a par and the gap remains two going down 18.

DART FROM SMITH

Pressure firmly on Brown. Smith is a world-class iron player, and he’s proved it by flying his tee shot all 208 yards and 12 feet to the left of the flag. That’s a legitimate birdie chance.

Following up, Brown is hole-high but more like 40 feet away. From a neutral point of view, a one-shot gap going down the last would provide the best entertainment.

HOW?

How on earth has that not dropped from Dan Brown?! There’s no way it can have stayed up. I can’t believe my eyes, and neither can the TV commentators. Brown sent a really nice putt towards his target, only to see it perform a full 360-degree loop around the edge. That is genuinely shocking!

After Smith had already failed with his own birdie try, the gap remains two with two holes to play.

TENTATIVE

Smith, understandably, dribbled his chip down the slope and across the green to 15 feet out to the right. That was a really tough shot with the ball nestled down, so it’s not a bad result.

Brown has an opportunity to all but shut this tournament down, but he’s not taken it. That must be six feet short. Strangely underhit.

ONE NAIL IN THE COFFIN

At the driveable par-4 16th – it’s playing 276 yards today – Smith thumps a wood well over the pond but also past the green. He’ll have a very tricky chip down the slope towards the water. Marco Penge almost dunked his ball recently before escaping with a par.

Following Smith, Brown rifles his tee shot juuust over the water and into the heart of the green. That could be one hand on the trophy given Brown now has an eagle putt with a likely birdie to come.

THERE’S ONE

Brown has 36 feet and four inches down the slope, and he knocks his ball that exact distance. Unfortunately for him, it was two feet to the left. Nevertheless, it’s a par to stay at 21-under.

But maybe this tussle isn’t done yet… Jordan Smith lands his birdie putt from 15 feet, finding the very left edge of the hole to return to 19-under. Three holes left, and there are chances for birdies and bogeys aplenty still.

BIRDIE CHANCES

The final…