'It's For Him' - Inspired Daniel Brown Seals Emotional BMW International Open Victory

The Englishman - playing days after the loss of a close friend last week - powered home in Germany via a closing 66 to lift his second DP World Tour title

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Daniel Brown breaks down in tears after winning the 2025 BMW International Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Daniel Brown revealed how the recent loss of a close friend put the relative pressure of trying to win a golf tournament into perspective after landing his second DP World Tour title at the BMW International Open on Sunday.

Brown ultimately defeated the field by at least two strokes at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Germany thanks to a closing six-under 66 which tacked on to rounds of 70, 65 and 65 for a 22-under total.

His closest rival was fellow Englishman, Jordan Smith who signed for a final-round 67 to end on 20-under. For Smith, it marked his second consecutive runner-up finish at the event on the outskirts of Munich following a silver medal behind Ewen Ferguson 12 months ago.

The sting of disappointment for Smith was eased by delight for his buddy, Brown, though, who had only learned of the heart-breaking news days before the tournament began.

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Reacting to his second DP World Tour success, two years on from a maiden victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational, Brown was understandably emotional and admitted he was thinking of his friend for most of the weekend.

He said: "It means a lot. The first one didn't really sink in, but that one hit me straight away. I lost a friend at home last weekend... I don't know what to say really. It was for him.

"The last two days, I kept thinking about him to try and take my mind off [the tournament] but then also try not to get too emotional in the process.

"I'm not too sure what happened today, really. All day it was like an out-of-body experience. Obviously there's the nerves and then thinking about the importance of winning a golf tournament, like it sort of played it down a little bit with what's happened.

"I suppose he was there with me and it made it a little bit easier."

Brown's extremely meaningful achievement began with consecutive birdies at the first two holes before he followed that up with two more gains at the fifth and sixth holes, making the turn in just 32 strokes.

Yet, with Smith tracking him step for step, the man who led The Open after round one last year remained under intense pressure prior to a slip-up from his playing partner early into the back nine.

A birdie at 12 - combined with consecutive bogeys for Smith at 13 and 14 - opened up a more comfortable gap to second for Brown, and he took advantage by ticking off the holes with relative ease.

However, a third birdie of the week on 15 for Smith cut the gap to two strokes, and it could have been less if the 32-year-old's putting had been slightly better down the stretch.

As it was, a pair of birdies between the two friends at the last was a fitting end to what had been an excellent display of golf by the duo, and the gap remained two strokes until the end.

Jordan Smith hits a driver (left) and Daniel Brown looks on (right)

Jordan Smith (left) pushed Brown all the way at the BMW International Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Brown and Smith will now head over to the United Kingdom for the Genesis Scottish Open next week prior to The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland immediately after.

Wrapping up the top-five in Germany was New Zealand's Kazuma Kobori in solo third on 18-under, just in front of the Netherlands' Joost Luiten, USA's Davis Bryant and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan on 16-under.

As well as a strong finish in Munich, Reitan backed up strong form in recent weeks to steal ahead of France's Martin Couvra and win the DP World Tour's European Swing - landing him a $200,000 bonus.

France's Frederic Lacroix, England's Laurie Canter, Germany's Matti Schmid and Italy's Francesco Laporta completed the top-10 on 15-under-par.

BMW International Open Leaderboard

  • -22 Daniel Brown (66)
  • -20 Jordan Smith (67)
  • -18 Kazuma Kobori (63)
  • -16 Kristoffer Reitan (68)
  • -16 Joost Luiten (69)
  • -16 Davis Bryant (68)
  • -15 Frederic Lacroix (67)
  • -15 Laurie Canter (67)
  • -15 Matti Schmid (67)
  • -15 Francesco Laporta (65)

Updates from...

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WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the closing stages of the BMW International Open on the DP World Tour.

It looks as though Daniel Brown is set to land his second DP World Tour title given he has a three-stroke lead with just four holes to play, but stranger things have happened in the world of professional golf.

As well as the battle for the outright victory, there are spaces at The Open still available for the first five of the Race To Dubai's top-20 after this week.

Thank you for joining us. We'll bring you all of the key updates as they happen over the next hour or so.

GAP EXTENDED

Entering the 14th hole, Brown led Smith by just two. However, an errant tee shot from Smith ultimately led to a bogey. While Brown did have a chance to make it a four-stroke gap, he had to settle for par and only a little extra wiggle room heading down 15 instead of a lot.

BIRDIE CHANCES

The final pairing both have looks at birdie, but they went about navigating the 15th in slightly different ways. Brown took the more conventional route via the fairway but found the middle of the green and will be putting first.

Although Smith entered the left fairway bunker, the angle to the flag was much more friendly and he's left his birdie chance hole high and 12-15 feet away.

Behind, none of those still out there can find enough momentum to put any pressure on.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FAIRWAYS FOUND

Dan Brown has made birdie on both occasions that he's found the fairway so far this week. The one time he missed (bunker), he made par. Either would likely be good enough for the win this time.

He's quite a way back so will almost certainly lay up, but there's danger all around on the par-5 18th, so the short grass is ideal.

On the flip side, Smith needs an eagle to have a say, you'd have thought. He's bombed one down there and will have a long iron or hybrid up next. If Smith can land his ball on the green, that will make Brown tense up somewhat.

ICED

That is world class from Dan Brown. Game over. Brown had 280 or so to the hole and took his 3-wood out, which felt like a really brave call, before smashing it right down the flag and coming up 20 feet short. Brown has two putts for the win.

Fair play to Smith, too. Even after what just came before, he didn't let it affect him. The 32-year-old whacked a hybrid onto the left edge of the hole from roughly 260 yards and saw it roll out to the back edge of the green.

Both players have played some brilliant golf today, but it's going to be Dan Brown's day.

THREE PUTTS TO WIN

Smith gave it a real go from 25 feet, but the ball never even flirted with the hole in all honesty. Brown will now have three putts for the title.

SMITH ENDS IN STYLE

Smith sinks his birdie putt at the last to reach 20-under and wrap up consecutive runner-up finishes at this event.

BROWN WINS BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN

Dan Brown taps in for birdie at the last and wins by two strokes from Jordan Smith to secure his second DP World Tour title!

He recently received some tough personal news, so the tears did not take too long to flow. It's a bittersweet moment for the Englishman with so many of his peers coming up to offer sincere hugs while congratulating him.

He heads into the scorer's tent before reacting to the victory shortly.

HEAR FROM THE CHAMPION

Speaking after his win, Brown revealed he lost a close friend last week and was inspired to win the BMW International Open in his memory...