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17-year-old finishes first round as pro golfer
Nashville’s Blades Brown, who is 17 years old, made his pro golf debut Thursday in the 2025 American Express Golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California.
The former Brentwood Academy standout shot an even-par 72. He had three straight birdies on the front nine and finished his round with 12 straight pars.
Brown is tied for 117th place, 10 shots behind leader JT Poston. The cut will be made after Saturday’s third round and the top 65 plus ties will make Sunday’s final round.
Blades Brown makes the turn at even in pro debut on PGA Tour
Blades Brown finished his front nine with three consecutive pars and he is even through nine holes in his pro golf debut at the PGA Tour American Express Tournament
Blades Brown has three straight birdies on front nine at American Express
Blades Brown is back to even on his round after three straight birdies on the front nine. Brown got the first birdie of his pro career on the par-4 fourth hole, then got another birdie on the par-5 fifth hole and followed with another on the par-5 sixth hole.
Blades Brown has first birdie as a pro golfer at American Express
Blades Brown got his first birdie as a pro golfer on the par-4 fourth hole in his first round at the American Express tournament. Brown is 2-over in the tournament. He bogeyed the second hole and had a double bogey on the third hole.
Blades Brown pars first hole as a pro golfer at American Express
Blades Brown’s first round as a pro golfer has begun. The 17-year-old make a par on the par-4 first hole on the LaQuinta Course.
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.
More:Everything Blades Brown, 17, said ahead of pro golf debut at PGA Tour American Express
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.
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 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 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)
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.
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.
More:Nashville’s Blades Brown, 17, turning pro, will play in PGA Tour Amex Golf Tournament in 2025
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.
More:Why Blades Brown was named Tennessean’s 2024 High School Sportsperson of Year
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.
More:How did 16-year-old Brentwood Academy star Blades Brown finish in PGA Tour debut?
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.
At just 17 years old, [Name] has made history as the youngest golfer to finish their first round as a professional. Competing against seasoned veterans, [Name] showed incredible skill and composure on the course, finishing with an impressive score.
Many are calling [Name] a rising star in the world of golf, with a bright future ahead. This accomplishment is just the beginning of what promises to be a successful career in the sport.
Congratulations to [Name] on this incredible achievement – we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this young prodigy.
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