Nashville’s Blades Brown, who is 17 years old, had a rough finish to his first tournament as a pro golfer.
Brown was 4-over in his last five holes Saturday at the PGA Tour American Express Tournament in LaQuinta, California. That dropped him to 6-under for the tournament and the projected cut line is 9-under.
Brown was at 11-under for the tournament and tied for 21st place after getting birdies on three of his first five holes Saturday.
But that was his last birdie of the round. He was 2-over 74 for the day and is tied for 90th place. The top 65 plus ties make the cut.
Blades Brown in danger of missing cut after back-to-back bogeys
Blades Brown, 17 has bogeyed the No. 14 and 15 holes and he is back to even for Saturday’s third round and 8-under for the tournament.
Brown has dropped to a tie for 74th place. The projected cut line is 8-under.
Blades Brown, 17, is right on cut line in American Express third round
Blades Brown’s run of pars ended at six and he made bogey at the par-4 14th hole on the Pete Dye Stadium course.
That dropped Brown to 9-under for the tournament, which is right on the projected cut line.
Blades Brown on par run on back nine of American Express third round
Blades Brown has made five consecutive pars since making a bogey on the par-4 No. 7 hole.
Brown is 2-under for his round through 12 holes on the Pete Dye Stadium course. He is 10-under for the tournament and tied for 39th place.
The projected cut line is 9-under.
Blades Brown score after making turn at American Express third round
Blades Brown, 17, shot a 2-under 34 on the front nine of his third round at the Pete Dye Stadium course. He is 10-under for the tournament and tied for 33rd place.
The projected cut line to make Sunday’s final round is 8-under.
Blades Brown, 17, has three birdies in first five holes at American Express, gets to 11-under
Blades Brown is off to another strong start at the American Express, with birdies in three of his first five holes Saturday on the Pete Dye Stadium course.
Brown just birdied the par-5 fifth hole and he is 3-under for his round and 11-under for the tournament. Brown is in a tie for 21st place.
Blades Brown birdies first two holes in third round at American Express, gets to 10-under
Blades Brown kept his hot run going to start Saturday’s third round, getting birdies on the par-4 first and second holes at the Pete Dye course.
Brown is 10-under for the tournament and has moved up to 23rd place.
Will Blades Brown, 17, make cut in first pro golf tournament on PGA Tour?
The cut for the American Express tournament will be made after Saturday’s third round. Brown is tied for 41st heading into the third round.
The top 65 golfers plus ties will make Sunday’s final round.
What is Blades Brown’s tee time for Saturday’s third round?
Brown will tee off at 11:36 a.m. CT Saturday with Isaiah Salinda at the Pete Dye Stadium course, which is considered the hardest of the three courses where the tournament is being played.
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.
More:Everything Blades Brown, 17, said ahead of pro golf debut at PGA Tour American Express
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 Saturday and 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.
● 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.
