The Kid: Being Blades Brown

The Untraditional Path

Brown’s journey to professional golf reads like a case study in trusting your gut. At 16, he broke Bobby Jones’ 103-year-old record as the youngest medalist at stroke play in U.S. Amateur history. He won three consecutive Tennessee state high school championships. He was ranked number one in both the Junior Golf Scoreboard and the American Junior Golf Association.

Then he did something that would make most parents nervous: he skipped college entirely.

In December 2024, despite being pursued by the nation’s top collegiate programs, Brown announced he was turning pro. No four years at a powerhouse program. No NCAA championships. Just straight from high school to the professional ranks at 17 years old.

“Everyone’s got their own path and I’m running my race,” Brown said when asked about his decision. “But I think that there’s a lot of really good junior and amateur talent coming up and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw another amateur make a run.”

It’s the kind of confidence that could come off as cocky from someone else. From Brown, it just sounds honest.

Basketball Genes and Golf Dreams

Understanding Blades Brown means understanding where he comes from. His mother, Rhonda Blades, was the first player in WNBA history to score a three-point goal and was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. His older sister Millie made more than 220 three-pointers in her high school basketball career and led her team to a state championship.

Brown grew up trying to be “as good of a shooter as my sister is.” That competitive fire, combined with his mother’s athletic DNA and his father Parke’s guidance at Nashville’s Richland Country Club, created something special.

“He’s a little more mature,” his mother Rhonda said. “His personality is perfect for the golf course.”

Learning from the Best

Sunday at The American Express didn’t go as planned. Brown struggled to a final-round score that left him well off the pace. But even in disappointment, he was soaking up knowledge.

Playing in the final group with world number one Scottie Scheffler, Brown couldn’t stop marveling at what he witnessed.

“One of the coolest things that I learned today was how underrated Scottie Scheffler’s short game is,” Brown said. “To see it in person and just to look at kind of the trajectory and the spin and just the control that he has with his wedges and short game. Obviously his putting is insane too. It was really cool to watch. So I’m definitely going to go work on that.”

This is what separates Brown from other young phenoms. He’s not just talented. He’s a student of the game who understands that every round, every pairing, every moment is a chance to learn.

What’s Next

Brown will be playing primarily on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2026 while receiving exemptions to PGA Tour events. After his performance this week at the American Express, those exemptions will certainly be more than a week ago.

“I just think that it’s cool that the golf ball doesn’t know how old you are,” Brown said when asked about competing against players decades older.

He’s right. The golf ball doesn’t care about age. It only cares about talent, preparation and nerve. And Blades Brown seems to have all three in abundance.

After eight days of competitive golf in a week, Brown admitted he was ready for a rest. But not before making one thing clear: “I got some things I got to sharpen up and hopefully we see if we can do what Scottie’s doing.”

Translation: this is just the beginning.