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Imago

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Imago

The 18-year-old Blades Brown made his professional debut at AmEx 2025 and missed the cut. Now, a year later, at the very same event, he rewrote history by becoming the youngest golfer on the Tour to card 60. If he continues the momentum, he might rewrite it again on Sunday.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

After three rounds of 67-60-68, Brown has a chance to become the second youngest winner on the PGA Tour. On day 3, he had a strong showing as he birdied the final three holes. The probability of him winning looks good as he sits tied 2nd with #1 Scottie Scheffler, having shot 21 under overall. The only guy above him is Si Woo Kim with a 1-stroke lead, who climbed up 10 positions on Saturday after a brilliant 66.

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If the teen golfer wins, he will join the following youngest Tour winners:

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Charles Kocsis1931, Michigan Open18 years, 6 months, 9 days
Harry Cooper1923, Galveston Open Championship19 years, 4 days
Ralph Guldahl1931, Santa Monica Open19 years, 2 months, 3 days
John McDermott1911, U.S. Open19 years, 10 months, 14 days

The youngest winners on the PGA Tour in modern-day history:

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Jordan Spieth2013 John Deere Classic19 years 11 months 17 days
Nick Dunlap (a)2024 American Express20 years 29 days
Tom Kim2022 Wyndham Championship20 years 1 months 17 days
Matthew Wolff2019 3M Open20 years 2 months 23 days
Tom Kim2022 Shriners Children’s Open20 years 3 months 18 days
Nick Dunlap2024 Barracuda Championship20 years 6 months 28 days
Phil Mickelson (a)1991 Northern Telecom Open20 years 6 months 28 days
Tiger Woods1996 Shriners Children’s Open20 years 9 months 6 days
Aldrich Potgieter2025 Rocket Classic20 years 9 months 16 days
Tiger Woods1996 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic20 years 9 months 20 days

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Brown’s play this week has been spectacular, to say the least. On Friday, he narrowly missed the historic 59, but his bogey-free 12-under helped him shoot 60 and set the course record at Nicklaus Tournament Course. His Friday showing tied him atop the leaderboard at -17 with Scheffler. Even he acknowledged the Browns’ powerful performance.

“If you want to make a name for yourself, you’ve got to put up some good scores,” the 29-year-old said. “An 18-year-old shooting 59 is a pretty good start to his career there.”

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This week’s storyline is even more impressive given Brown’s schedule leading into the American Express. Just days earlier, he finished tied for 17th at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, completing that event on Wednesday before flying in a private jet across multiple time zones to tee off in California. The transition from Korn Ferry competition to the PGA Tour highlights his stamina and emerging maturity as a young pro. Now, he is set to play his continuous 8th professional round.

As Blades Brown positions himself for a historic victory, the teenager finds motivation from his seniors.

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Blades Brown reveals his inspiration

When asked about hearing Fowler’s comments regarding being in contention at 18, Brown revealed his childhood admiration.

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“Rickie is an individual I’ve looked up to. I mean, when I first started getting into golf—there’s a picture somewhere; my dad has it—I used to rock a Rickie Fowler orange outfit all the time,” Blades Brown shared candidly.

Fowler had said that he would do anything to be back in Brown’s shoes, which were those of an 18-year-old at a PGA Tour event. As Brown gets ready for the final round on Sunday, hearing this praise from one of his heroes means a lot to him.

The teen’s ability to stay calm under pressure and draw inspiration from well-known stars shows that he is more mature than his years. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” Blades Brown said simply, embodying the quiet confidence that has characterized his breakthrough week at The American Express.

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Written by

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Vishnupriya Agrawal

1,250 Articles

Vishnupriya Agrawal is a beat reporter at EssentiallySports on the Golf Desk, specializing in breaking news around tour developments, player movement, ranking shifts, and evolving competitive narratives across the PGA and LPGA circuits. She excels at analyzing the ripple effects of major moments, such as headline-grabbing wins or schedule changes, highlighting their impact on player momentum, course strategy, and long-term career trajectories. With a foundation in research-driven writing and a passion for storytelling, Vishnupriya has built a track record of delivering timely and insightful golf coverage. She has also contributed as a freelance sports writer, creating audience-focused content that connects fans to the finer details of the game. Her sharp research abilities and disciplined publishing workflow enable her to craft stories that go beyond the leaderboard, bringing context and clarity to the fast-moving world of professional golf.

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Riya Singhal

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