Blades Brown, 17, is making pro golf debut at PGA Tour American Express: What to know
Nashville’s Blades Brown will play in his first PGA Tour event as a professional when he tees off at the American Express golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California, on Thursday.
The 17-year-old’s rapid rise in golf turned heads in 2024, namely when he finished tied for 26th at the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic in May at 16 years old and turned pro in December.
Brown was already gaining national attention as the American Junior Golf Association’s top-ranked player in the Class of 2026. In 2023, he beat Bobby Jones’ record as the youngest golfer to medal at an amateur event, and in 2024, he matched Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett as the only golfers to medal at both the U.S. Junior and U.S. Amateur tournaments.
Brown is finishing his high school education online as he charts the first steps of his professional career.
Here’s what you need to know about the young phenom.
Why Blades Brown is making pro golf debut at PGA Tour American Express tournament
Brown is playing in the 2025 American Express on a sponsor exemption. His management agency, SportFive, runs the tournament.
Exemptions are Brown’s key to PGA Tour success in the 2025 season. The tour allows players up to seven sponsor exemptions each year. SportFive also runs the Puerto Rico Open, Myrtle Beach Classic and ISCO Championship.
Top 10 finishers at PGA Tour events can earn additional tournament exemptions.
Blades Brown tee time, pairing in American Express tournament
Brown will tee off at 12:42 p.m. CT Thursday with Isaiah Salinda on the LaQuinta Course as part of a three-course rotation over the tournament’s first 54 holes.
On Friday, the same pairing will tee off at 12:09 p.m. CT at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament course, and on Saturday at 11:36 a.m. CT, they will tee off at the Pete Dye Stadium course.
The cut will be made after Saturday’s round is complete for Sunday’s final round, which will include the top 65, plus ties, at the Pete Dye course.
How to watch Blades Brown at 2025 American Express online, streaming
The 2025 American Express will be streamed online with PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT Thursday through Sunday.
Simulcasts of Golf Channel and NBC’s television coverage will be available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
How old is Blades Brown?
Brown, who attended Brentwood Academy near Nashville, is 17 years old.
Is Blades Brown a pro golfer?
Brown decided to forgo college to compete in professional tournaments for money. Technically, he is a pro but does not have full-time status on the PGA Tour, meaning he cannot play in every event.
PGA Tour Q-School is the most direct way to make the tour full-time. Q-School is a months-long series of fall tournaments in which the top five finishers are awarded PGA Tour status.
It’s not uncommon for European players to skip college and turn pro out of high school. Most Americans choose the college route. But there could be a shift as some amateurs, like Brown and 16-year-old Miles Russell, dabble in PGA Tour events on exemptions.
Akshay Bhatia, at age 17 in 2019, is the most recent notable American to turn pro. He has since won the Barracuda Championship and Valero Texas Open.
What Blades Brown, Nick Dunlap have in common
Alabama golfer Nick Dunlap, at 20, became the first amateur in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour when he captured the American Express title last year. His 29-under 259 was the event record since it moved to a 72-hole format in 2016.
Brown and Dunlap have crossed paths. While Brown won the 2023 U.S. Amateur stroke play title, Dunlap went on to win the U.S. Amateur championship, outlasting Neal Shipley in the final match.
Has Blades Brown played in a PGA Tour tournament?
Brown tied for 26th place at the Myrtle Beach Classic in May as an amateur in his first PGA Tour event. He finished at 10-under 209.
Blades Brown broke Bobby Jones’ record, equaled Tiger Woods
In 2023, Brown won the stroke play portion of the U.S. Amateur, regarded as the nation’s most difficult amateur tournament. At age 16, he shot 8-under 64 at Colorado Golf Club to become the youngest medalist in U.S. Amateur history, breaking Jones’ 103-year-old record.
Brown was the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur medalist, firing rounds of 66-68 (134) at Oakland Hills Country Club in Detroit to join Woods and Clampett as the only players to medal at both the U.S. Junior and the U.S. Amateur.
Brown won three AJGA titles in 2024 and captured the Tennessee State Junior by 12 shots. He also represented the United States on the national junior and junior Presidents Cup teams.
In high school, he attended Brentwood Academy and won three consecutive Division II-AAA TSSAA state championships (2021-23). In 2023, he tied the TSSAA two-day scoring record at 14-under 130 for the tournament.
Who is Blades Brown’s mom, Rhonda Brown?
Brown’s first name comes from his mom, Rhonda Brown, whose maiden name is Blades.
Rhonda Brown led Vanderbilt women’s basketball to its only Final Four during her career from 1991 to 1995 and became the first pick in the 1998 WNBA expansion draft. She made the WNBA’s first 3-pointer in league history in 1997 as a member of the New York Liberty.
Brown’s mom played seven professional seasons in the WNBA and overseas before becoming the coach at Brentwood Academy, where she won five TSSAA basketball state titles in 23 seasons.
Who sponsors Blades Brown?
Brown’s major golf sponsors include Callaway golf products and Travis Mathew apparel.
He’s also giving a nod to Tennessee golf this week with a custom bag featuring the Tennessee Golf Foundation logo.
Blades Brown American Express golf tournament odds, purse
Brown has +75000 odds to win the American Express, tied for second-worst in the tournament, according to FanDuel.
His odds are better than several big names, however, including 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett and 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner.
The tournament’s total purse is $8.8 million, with the winner taking home $1.584 million.
How to watch Blades Brown, 2025 American Express on TV
Here’s the American Express schedule on Golf Channel.
● Thursday, Jan. 16: 3-6 p.m. CT (Golf Channel)
● Friday, Jan. 17: 3-6 p.m. CT (Golf Channel)
● Saturday, Jan. 18: 3-6 p.m. CT (Golf Channel)
● Sunday, Jan. 19: 3-6 p.m. CT (Golf Channel)
Reach sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83.
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