Blades Brown (born May 21, 2007) is an American professional golfer from Nashville, Tennessee who at age 16 broke Bobby Jones' record as the youngest medalist at stroke play in U.S. Amateur history.[1] Jones set the record at age 18 (1920), and it remained unbroken for 103 years. Brown's impressive performance in the U.S. Amateur enabled him to compete in his first PGA Tour event where he performed with distinction, 10 under par. Despite numerous college golf offers, he elected to go directly from high school to enter professional golf in January 2025.[2]
His father, Parke Brown, is a Nashville businessman who played golf with Blades at Nashville's Richland Country Club since Blades was eight years old. The father said, "He's not always winning. . . he's growing and showing he's resilient".[3] From childhood, Brown was taught basketball as well as golf.[4] Brown's mother Rhonda Blades played professional basketball in the WNBA, and was the first player in the WNBA to score a 3-point goal.[5] She was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.[6] His older sister Millie was the main basketball protégé of their mother.[4] Millie made more than 220 three-pointers in her high school basketball career, leading her team to win the state high school championship in 2018.[4] Blades said his main childhood mission was "to be as good of a shooter as my sister is."[4] His mother, Rhonda, said, "I've taught and coached high school kids for 24 and a half years, and Blades a little different. He's a little more mature...his personality is perfect for the golf course."[3]
Amateur career
In 2023, the 16-year-old Brown, then a high school sophomore, shot a course record 64 at Colorado Golf Club during the 123rd U.S. Amateur hosted at Cherry Hills Country Club, tying for first place in the tournament's stroke play portion.[5] Brown went on to win the 2023 Elite Invitational at the Tradition Golf Club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina with a final-round 64. The Tennessean named him high school "Sportsperson of the Year" for 2024.[3] Brown joined Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett in 2023 as the only players to win a medal in both U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior competitions.[7]
He earned entry into the national golf tournament after playing a qualifying round in July 2023, at the Franklin Bridge Golf Club in Franklin, Tennessee, where he shot a 62 in the final round.[8] His impressive performance in the U.S. Amateur opened the door to a sponsor's exemption allowing him to compete in his first PGA Tour event, the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic.[9] At Myrtle Beach, he made the cut and tied for 26th, finishing 10 under par.[10] In November 2024, he was ranked number 1 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard, number 1 in the American Junior Golf Association and number 79 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.[11][10]
In May 2024, he and fellow Tennessean Jackson Herrington finished runner-up in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball to Brian Blanchard and Sam Engel.[12] Brown won three consecutive TSSAA golf individual state championships (2021–2023) for his high school, Nashville's Brentwood Academy.[10] In July 2024, after his sophomore year, he announced he would leave his high school to better manage his golf schedule, and that he planned to continue his studies online with Laurel Springs School.[11] However, on December 17, 2024, he announced that, despite being pursued by the nation's top collegiate programs, he had decided to forego college golf and pursue a full-time professional career.[13] Brown said he was proud of his amateur accomplishments, but wanted to focus on his pro career, saying, "I am delighted to make my professional debut (at the American Express Golf Tournament)".[13] By this time he was being represented by a sports marketing agency, and had NIL deals with Callaway and a New Jersey-based financial advisory firm.[13]
Professional career
In 2025, Brown played primarily on the Korn Ferry Tour with temporary status, but received exemptions to play in several PGA Tour events.[14] At his debut as a pro golfer at The American Express on the PGA Tour in January 2025, Brown started with even par the first round, and a 64 in the second. This latter score was the third lowest in a PGA Tour event by a player under age 18 in the past 40 years.[15] However, his third round produced a 2-over-par 74, and he missed the cut by 3 strokes. He played under a sponsor's exemption; his management company, Sportfive, ran the tournament.[15] The PGA Tour allows up to seven sponsor's exemptions per year.[15] He will go to PGA Tour Qualifying school in late 2025.[14] On the Korn Ferry Tour he had two top-10 finishes including a runner-up finish at the Veritex Bank Championship.[16]
Amateur wins
2023 AJGA Junior at Canebrake, Huntsville.org Junior Championship, Wyndham Invitational, Tennessee Junior Amateur, The Elite Invitational
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