Blades Brown (born May 21, 2007) is an American 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] Bobby Jones set the record when he was 18 years old (1920), and it remained unbroken for 103 years. In 2023, the 16-year-old Brown, then a high school sophomore, shot a course record 64 at Colorado's Cherry Hills Country Club in the 123rd U.S. Amateur tying for first place in the tournament's stroke play portion.[2]
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.[3] His impressive performance in the U.S. Amateur opened the door to a sponsor exemption allowing him to compete in his first PGA Tour event, the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic.[4] At Myrtle Beach, he made the cut and tied for 26th, finishing 10 under par.[5] As of 2024, he is ranked no. 1 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard, no. 10 in the American Junior Golf Association and no. 117 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.[6][5]
In May 2024, he and fellow Tennesseean Jackson Herrington finished runner-up in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball to Brian Blanchard and Sam Engel.[7]
Brown's mother, Rhonda Blades played professional basketball in the WNBA. She was the first player in the WNBA to score a 3-point goal.[2] She was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.[8]
Early life
From childhood, Brown was taught basketball as well as golf.[9] His older sister Millie was the main basketball protégé of their mother.[9] 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.[9] She played college basketball at UNC Asheville and University of Alabama Huntsville. Blades said his main childhood mission was "to be as good of a shooter as my sister is."[9]
Career
Brown won three TSSAA golf individual state championships for his high school, Nashville's Brentwood Academy.[5]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.[6] He would be playing in some of the top tournaments in which amateurs are allowed to participate.[6]