Tag: Blades Brown

Who is Blades Brown? Meet the teen golfer whose mom is a former WNBA first-overall pick

Blades Brown is turning pro! Meet the 17-year-old golfing sensation.

The golf world is adding another professional to its elite group of athletes — 17-year-old Blades Brown.

Yes, you read that right. Blades Brown, the top-ranked athlete in the class of 2026, is turning pro. On Tuesday, Brown made the decision Instagram official, announcing that he is forgoing college and will begin competing next year.

The Nashville native has been a rising star, turning heads along the way. But now, there will be even more eyes on his game as he ascends into the pro ranks, and you’ll want to keep up with his career.

If you’re wondering who Brown is and what you need to know about the young golfer, we’ve got you covered. Here are more facts about the teen phenom, including his ties to the WNBA.

1. Blades Brown has etched his name in the record books with Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett

Raj Mehta/Getty Images

Brown is a golf whiz, and after winning three consecutive TSSAA golf state championships at Brentwood Academy, he left school to further his career.

The move paid off because, in 2023, Brown became the youngest medalist in U.S. Amateur history. He joined a historic group of golfers, including Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett, as the only players to medal at a U.S. Amateur and a U.S. Junior Amateur competition.

2. Blades Brown’s mom was a former WNBA No. 1 overall pick

21 Jun 1997: Rhonda Blades of the New York Liberty in action during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The Liberty won the game 67-57. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire /Allsport
Jamie Squire /Allsport

Perhaps it shouldn’t shock anyone that Brown is an elite athlete who’s already made history. His mom is former No.1 overall pick Rhonda Blades Brown.

After a four-year basketball career at Vanderbilt, Rhonda Blades Brown entered the WNBA, where she became the top pick in the 1998 expansion draft.  The former guard was also the league’s first player to make a 3-point shot.

3. Blades Brown makes his pro golf debut in 2025

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN - JULY 24: Blades Brown of the United States lines up his putt on the 13th green during day three of the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship on the South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club on July 24, 2024 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
Raj Mehta/Getty Images

Golf fans won’t have to wait long to see Brown in action. Using a sponsor exemption, he’ll make his pro debut at The American Express golf tournament in La Quinta, California, on January 13, 2025.

The exemption is a special invitation from a tournament sponsor that allows a golfer to bypass traditional qualification processes.

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These 15 amateurs made 22 cuts on the PGA Tour in 2024

If these amateurs could’ve collected prize money, their 2024 winnings would have totaled $4,263,930.

The amateurs shone bright this year.

A total of 15 amateurs made 22 cuts on the PGA Tour in 2024.

Luke Clanton of Florida State led the way, having turned the trick at seven different events, including a tie for second in the season-ending RSM Classic.

Neal Shipley made two cuts, both at majors: the Masters and the U.S. Open.

Nick Dunlap, of course, one-upped all the ams in 2024 as he’s the one with a victory, at the American Express back in January. He’s on the very short list of just eight golfers to win a PGA Tour event as an amateur. He later won the Barracuda Championship for his first victory as a professional.

Would-be winnings

Ams don’t get paid if they make the cut or win, of course, but if these guys did pocket the money from the finishing positions they posted, they would have taken home $4,263,930.

Dunlap’s payday at the AmEx would’ve been worth $1.512 million. Clanton’s tie for second at the John Deere would’ve been good for $712,000. His tie for second at the RSM would’ve meant $676,400. If he could’ve cashed in on all seven finishes, he’d have won $2,022,713. He would have been the 84th player to surpass $2 million on the PGA Tour’s 2024 season money list.

Amateurs who made a cut on PGA Tour in 2024

Tournament Finish Amateur Would-be earnings
The American Express 1 Nick Dunlap $1,512,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta T-46 Santiago De La Fuente $25,515
Puerto Rico Open T10 Jackson Van Paris $93,000
Masters T53 Neal Shipley $46,800
CJ Cup Byron Nelson 65 Kris Kim $20,425
Myrtle Beach Classic T26 Blades Brown $29,800
Memorial 52 Jackson Koivun $50,000
U.S. Open T26 Neal Shipley $153,281
U.S. Open T41 Luke Clanton $72,305
U.S. Open T70 Gunnar Broin $39,982
Rocket Mortgage Classic T10 Luke Clanton $206,233
Rocket Mortgage Classic T44 Ben James $29,164
John Deere Classic T-2 Luke Clanton $712,000
ICSO Championship T-37 Luke Clanton $17,400
British Open T-43 Calum Scott $57,200
British Open T-60 Tommy Morrison $32,100
British Open T-60 Jacob Skov Olesen $32,100
Barracuda Championship T-40 Ian Gilligan $16,600
Wyndham Championship 5 Luke Clanton $323,900
Procore Championship T-50 Luke Clanton $14,475
Shriners Children’s Open T-16 Ian Gilligan $103,250
RSM Classic T-2 Luke Clanton $676,400

 

Blades Brown, Gianna Clemente named AJGA 2024 Rolex Junior Players of the Year

What a year for the talented duo.

Blades Brown and Gianna Clemente were named Tuesday as the American Junior Golf Association’s 2024 Rolex Junior Players of the Year.

The Rolex Junior All-America Teams annually recognize the world’s premier junior golfers. The 2024 class includes 48 boys and girls, ages 13-19, from 19 states and three countries.

Brown, a 17-year-old from Nashville, Tennesssee, finished third at the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship in a field that included 18 of the top-20 players, highlighted by 2023 Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Miles Russell. He also made his PGA Tour debut this spring at the Myrtle Beach Classic. He also won medalist honors at the U.S. Junior Amateur, becoming only the third person to do so at the Junior and U.S. Amateur. He then placed second at the Junior Players.

Gianna Clemente of the United States plays her shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club on May 19, 2024, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Clemente, 16, is now a five-time Rolex Junior All-American. She began the year with a top-10 finish at the Fortinet Girls Invitational and then tied for 11th at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. She also placed fifth at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur before winning the Mizuho Americas Open. Clemente was a semifinalist at the U.S. Girls’ Junior and made the Round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Brown, Clemente and the 2024 Rolex Junior All-America Teams will be honored at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.

Blades Brown joins Tiger Woods in USGA history after winning U.S. Junior medalist honors

It has been a week for Blades Brown at the U.S. Junior Amateur, and it’s only Wednesday.

It has been a week for Blades Brown at the U.S. Junior Amateur, and it’s only Wednesday.

Brown, a 17-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, shot 2-under 68 on Tuesday on the difficult South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to earn medalist honors at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur. Shortly after, Brown got to meet Tiger Woods, who was on property to watch his son, Charlie, competing in his first USGA Championship.

For Blades, he joined Woods in an exclusive USGA club. Brown became the third person to win medalist honors at a U.S. Amateur and U.S Junior, joining Woods and Bobby Clampett. Brown won low am honors last summer at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado in the U.S. Amateur when he was 16.

“It gives me so much momentum and fuel and confidence,” Brown said. “But in match play anything can happen. I’m looking forward to it.”

Photos: Charlie Woods at the U.S. Junior Amateur

Brown will face Alex Huang on Wednesday morning, who advanced out of a 13-for-9 playoff for the final spots in match play. The top 64 seeds advanced from stroke play.

Also among those advancing to match play is Alabama signee Chase Kyes, who has Jeff Curl as his caddie. Curl was the caddie for Nick Dunlap at both his 2021 U.S. Junior win and last summer at the U.S. Amateur.

Five of the seven members of the USGA’s inaugural U.S. National Junior Team in the field also advanced to match play. Joining Brown were Tyler Watts, Henry Guan, Michael Riebe and Miles Russell, the No. 1 junior in the American Junior Golf Association rankings.

Blades Brown switches to online high school classes to accomodate his demanding golf schedule

Brown has an agent and NIL deals with Callaway and New Jersey-based Transcend Capital Advisors.

Blades Brown, one of the nation’s top amateur golfers and a three-time defending golf individual state champion in Tennessee, is no longer attending Brentwood Academy.

Brown, the No. 4 boys golfer in the class of 2026, will take online courses this year in order to make his golf schedule easier to manage, his mom, Rhonda, confirmed. He would have been a BA junior during the 2024-25 school year.

Brown, 16, made his PGA Tour debut in May. With a Callaway sponsorship, he was on pace to become the first to win five consecutive Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association golf individual state championships. The three-time Division II-AA defending champion tied the state tournament two-day scoring record last fall, shooting a 6-under-par 66 at Sevierville Golf Club to finish at 14-under 130 for the tournament. That also helped lead BA to the team state title.

He was also named The Tennessean‘s boys athlete of the year at the Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards in June.

Blades Brown
Golfer Blades Brown in Brentwood, Tennessee. (Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean)

Brown’s golf career has expanded far beyond TSSAA competition, with a national schedule that includes some of the top tournaments amateurs can play. Last week, he won each of his matches to help the U.S. National Junior team defeat Australia in a friendly competition at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He is scheduled to play in the U.S. Amateur, the nation’s top amateur event, at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, in August.

Brown is No. 10 in the American Junior Golf Association rankings and No. 117 in the World Golf Amateur Rankings.

He made national headlines in 2023 by breaking Bobby Jones’ record as the youngest medalist ever in the U.S. Amateur. He tied for first place in the event’s stroke play portion, tying the Colorado Golf Club course record with an 8-under 64. He was eliminated later in the match play portion in the Round of 32.

That performance led to a sponsor exemption into the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf and Beach Club in South Carolina. Brown shot rounds of 72, 67, 66 and 69 to finish the tournament at 10-under-par 274, tying for 26th.

He is being represented by Sportfive sports marketing agency and has NIL deals with Callaway and New Jersey-based Transcend Capital Advisors.

Schupak: Smells like teen spirit, but are today’s golf prodigies really that special?

Miles Russell, Kris Kim, Blades Brown — at this pace, the Tour’s going to need to expand its daycare.

These kids are good.

The PGA Tour shouldn’t bother with reviving its old marketing slogan these guys are good because pretty soon none of them will be old enough to celebrate their successes with an alcoholic beverage.

First, it was 15-year-old Miles Russell, the youngest AJGA Player of the Year (displacing Tiger Woods), making the cut at a Korn Ferry Tour event (he finished T-20 in the LECOM Suncoast Classic) and nearly doing it again the following week. The high school freshman already has secured a sponsor exemption to the PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship in November, and the invites should be rolling in.

Last week, Kris Kim, 16, did one better, receiving a sponsor exemption into the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson and shooting a first-round 64. He became the fifth-youngest player in the history of the PGA Tour to make the cut and the youngest in tournament history. Younger, in fact, than the Golden Child, Jordan Spieth. (Kim finished 65th.) Asked what he is most excited about when he gets back home, Kim responded with this classic answer: “I’ve got my driving license this year, so I think that’s going to be pretty cool.”

This week, it smells like teen spirit in the play-for-pay ranks in the form of young Blades Brown. Having already become the youngest stroke play medalist in U.S. Amateur history in 2023 (he was co-medalist) and breaking a record set by Bobby Jones 103 years ago, the 16-year-old Brown teed it up on Thursday at the Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic and opened with 1-over 72.

At this pace, the Tour’s going to need to expand its daycare with all these youngsters proving they have game.

And it’s not just the men – 15-year-old Asterisk Talley of Northern California just qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open later this month and another 15-year-old, Ashley Shaw, earned a two-stroke victory at the John Shippen Cognizant Cup on Monday to earn a spot in this week’s LPGA field in New Jersey.

Impressive accomplishments, for sure, but when young golfers are doing seemingly remarkable things with such regularity it does take some of the wow factor away from the feat. These stories begin to feel more dog bites man than man bites dog. This latest kiddie corps, after all, isn’t that far removed from the age of Rose Zhang, who won in her LPGA debut last year, or Nick Dunlap, who won the American Express on the PGA Tour in January as an amateur and subsequently turned pro. Before celebrating his 21st birthday, Tom Kim won twice on the Tour and earned additional victories in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea and Singapore.

It wasn’t that long ago when Adam Scott and Dustin Johnson were the only players with multiple victories on the PGA Tour among players in their 20s. But Tiger Woods, besides winning eight to 10 times a year and preventing a generation from winning enough for World Golf Hall of Fame consideration, also gave rise to an influx of young, athletic talent. Talk to a PGA Tour Champions pro and he’ll tell you that in his day, he had to learn to shape shots and to flight the ball at different trajectories.

“You were almost serving an apprenticeship,” Woody Austin said. “You had to cut your teeth and get experience on Tour before you were ready to go win, and if you were any good, you’d do so in your 30s. Now, they come out of the box and they’re ready to go.”

Austin went on a lengthy rant about equipment, and he’s not wrong. The biggest factor, he said, is that the golf ball doesn’t curve anymore, and the penalty for hitting it crooked is less severe. So, newly minted pros and those still seeking their driver’s license don’t have to learn to work the ball both ways; just grip it and rip it. Another factor is that the equipment is so much easier to match. It used to take months of trial and error to find the right shaft and driver. If it used to take a player three months to determine that his driver is spinning the ball too much, it is now revealed in three shots. Now a player sets up his TrackMan or FlightScope, it spews out numbers and the whole bag can be reconfigured in an afternoon. Game-changer. Not to mention that there are data analytics experts to tell a player how to play a course and a green book that tells a player the break and read of the green. Experience is overrated.

The reason “these guys are good” is less of a secret. Players are being groomed like future pros well before they arrive at college. And when they turn pro, they travel with an entourage of swing, fitness and mental coaches. That these youngsters have the ability and the mental fortitude to compete with golfers more than twice their age and old enough to be their parent is still is impressive but it’s no longer something to marvel about. It’s a new day and age and one in which youth is not wasted on the young.

Current USGA champion, 16 year old among medalists at 2023 U.S. Amateur

In the 123-year history of the U.S. Amateur, no one has done what Blades Brown did Tuesday.

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CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — In the 123-year history of the U.S. Amateur, no one has done what Blades Brown did Tuesday.

The 16-year-old, from Nashville, Tennessee, tied the competitive course record at Colorado Golf Club, the stroke-play co-host, shooting an 8-under 64 with four bogeys. He finished at 7 under following 36 holes, tying for medalist honors. Brown is the youngest in the history of the U.S. Amateur to win medalist honors.

“It’s up there,” he said of the accomplishment, “just because this is my first U.S. Am. I was told the U.S. Am is like one level down from the U.S. Open. To be able to shoot 8 under here is awesome. It really gives me confidence in my game and my practice.”

U.S. Amateur: Photos

Brown tied with Sampson Zheng, who earlier this year won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title. Zheng shot 1-under 70 at Cherry Hills on Tuesday after an opening 6-under 66 at Colorado Golf Club.

“There were definitely some nerves going off the tee,” Zheng said. “I knew I was the leader and I had the chance to be medalist. But the goal from the start was to win, so I feel like I handled myself pretty well out there. I didn’t back off from any tough shots, I didn’t back off from any tough holes, and I stayed process really well, step by step, I took it one at a time, just fairways and greens, and then stayed out of trouble for the most part.”

Also tying for medalist honors was Jackson Buchanan, who birdied his final three holes at Colorado Golf Club to tie Brown and Zheng.

Stroke play is a little different than match play, I think it proves the best player,” Buchanan said. “Two days is obviously not much but I think stroke play proves the best player. Once you get to match play everyone here is so good. It doesn’t matter if you are [seeds] 64 or 1.”

That trio will be the top three seeds in the Round of 64, which is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET Wednesday. Additionally, there won’t be a playoff because exactly 64 players made the cut, which was even-par. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some big names heading home early.

Some, like 2022 semifinalist Dylan Menante and 2023 Western Amateur semifinalist Andrew Goodman, made the cut on the number.

When match play seeds are determined, they’ll be posted here.