A high school junior from Nashville, Tennessee will be making his pro golf debut at the first signature event of the season on Thursday. Blades Brown will join the PGA Tour after turning pro in December and will play in his first tournament at La Quinta. At just 17 years old, Brown will be the youngest golfer ever to play in the American Express.
Can Another Amateur Win The American Express?
Brown is hoping to follow in the footsteps of another amateur, Nick Dunlap, who won the 2024 American Express but was forced to forfeit the payout in order to remain an amateur.
“Nick has been a huge inspiration for me ever since, because I was watching that live on TV when he made that 6-footer on the 18th green, and it just gave me so much inspiration to know that somebody else similar to my age is able to do that,” Brown told the Desert Sun. “And then it raises the question, what if I can do that?”
Selected as a sponsor exemption for the American Express, Brown was a co-medalist in the U.S. Amateur at age 16, an event that was won by Dunlap. While this week will be his pro debut, he’s played a PGA Tour event before. He participated in the Myrtle Beach Classic last year, making the cut and finishing 26th.
“When I was playing the Myrtle Beach Classic for my first event, I cannot put into words how I was feeling on that first tee, and ever since then I’ve been itching to get back out there, so I’m really pumped to be able to play the The American Express this week,” Brown said ahead of the opening round.
Brown Has Some Familiarity With La Quinta
Brown is signed with the same company that operates The American Express, SportFive, which made it a good fit for his pro debut. Despite the familiarity, Brown got into California four days early to study the courses. The American Express can be a challenging tournament for a young golfer, thanks to its three-course layout.
“We got here about four days ago, just because, I mean, three golf courses, that’s a lot of golf course knowledge that you need to know,” Brown said. “So I got here four days ago, and as I was flying in I saw the golf courses and pickleball courts and I’m like, this is my place right here.”
Brown Turned Down NIL Money In College To Go Pro
For the 17-year-old golfer, the decision to turn pro wasn’t easy, especially with some of the nation’s top colleges recruiting him. However, Brown believes that he made the right decision.
“There were a lot of trade-offs in every decision that we make, and for me turning professional was a very difficult decision, but it was the best decision that I believe was for me,” Brown said. “I’m probably not going to be going to school in college, but I am going to be going to school on the PGA Tour, so that sounds pretty good to me.”
Brown can only make seven starts through PGA Tour exemptions in 2025. However, he can play in more tournaments by qualifying for events or through Monday qualifying.
