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Professional golf has seen a remarkable surge of teenage talents in the last few weeks. For this week, it's Blades Brown.
Blades Brown, a 16-year-old prodigy from the United States, will make his PGA Tour debut at Myrtle Beach Classic. The event will be held from May 9 to 12 at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach.
Brown wrote on Instagram:
"Myrtle Beach soon. Excited, honored, blessed to announce that I will be making my @pgatourdebut next week in the @myrtlebeachcl. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for me to compete at the highest stage."
As per the PGA Tour website, Blades Brown hails from Nashville, Tennessee. He is currently in his second year of high school at Brentwood Academy in Nashville and will graduate in 2026. Last year, Brown claimed the title of the youngest stroke play co-medalist in U.S. Amateur history. He broke a 103-year-old record previously held by Bobby Jones.
Blades Brown also became the first player to secure the dual titles of the 2023 Tennessee Boy's Junior and Men's Player of the Year. Currently, he is at the No. 4 spot on the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Last year, Blades Brown secured back-to-back victories in AJGA tournaments. He also had top-10 finishes at this year's Jones Cup and Terra Cotta Invitational. He dominated the 2023 Tennessee Junior and won by a margin of 12 strokes. In March 2024, Brown signed a multi-year NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal with Transcend Capital Advisors.
132 players will be on the field at the Myrtle Beach Classic. The winner will take home $720,000 of the $4 million doles out. The champion will secure PGA Tour status until 2026 and 300 FedExCup points.
A look at Blades Brown's amateur career so far
Blades Brown comes from an athletic family. His mother, Rhonda Brown, played basketball and also played in WNBA. She played as a point guard for Vanderbilt. The young golf star gets his first name from his mother's maiden name, Blades.
Blades Brown is ranked 176th in the Amateur rankings. He has had five wins and 12 top-10 finishes in his amateur career.
He has won the 2023 Elite Invitational in Myrtle Beach, SC and the 2023 Tennessee Junior Amateur. He has also emerged victorious in the 2023 Wyndham Invitational, 2023 AJGA Junior, and 2023 Huntsville.org Junior Championship. Brown recently tied for fifth place at the Jones Cup Invitational at Ocean Forest Golf Club in St. Simons Island, GA.
Let's take a look at Blades Brown's amateur career performances so far:
- 2024 Terra Cota Invitational: 9
- 2024 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley: 19
- 2024 Dustin Johnson World Junior: 4
- 2024 AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods: 3
- 2024 Jones Cup Invitational: 5
- 2023 South Beach International Amateur: 89
- 2023 Rolex Tournament of Champions: 16
- 2023 The Elite Invitational: 1
- 2023 The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex: 13
- 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship: 17
- 2023 Boy's Junior PGA Championship: 12
- 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship: 102
- 2023 North and South Junior Amateur: 3
- 2023 Tennessee Junior Amateur: 1
- 2023 The Western Junior Championship: 9
- 2023 Wyndham Invitational presented by Odyssey: 1
- 2023 Tennessee State Open: 5
- 2023 Huntsville.org Junior Championship: 1
- 2023 AJGA Junior at Canebrake presented by Piedmont Bank: 1
- 2023 SPOT X Hotel Junior Championship: 30
- 2022 South Beach International Amateur: 14
