Blades Brown, an 18-year-old golfer, made a significant impact on the PGA Tour in 2026 by earning nearly $100,000 after finishing T-18 at the second event of the season. Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, Brown traveled from the Bahamas and earned a spot alongside world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for the final round of The American Express. This achievement was highlighted by a course-record 60 on Friday, showcasing his potential as a rising star in the sport.

Scheffler reached an impressive career milestone, while Brown faced a challenging final day, carding a two-over round. Despite this, Brown had an incredible week, playing four consecutive rounds and securing a top-20 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour. His journey included traveling over 2,500 miles across the country and being tied for first heading into the weekend at The American Express. He ultimately earned $93,318 for his efforts.

“I’m 18 years old playing on the PGA Tour. How awesome is that?” Brown said. “Finished high school about two weeks ago, so it’s nice to have that burden off my back, but I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”

Brown also shared his excitement about playing alongside Scheffler, expressing how much he could learn from the best in the world.

“I think that would be awesome, yeah. Scottie is an unbelievable golfer,” said Brown. “I’d try to learn from him as much as I can the way he plays the golf course. There’s a lot of strategy in his game, and he’s obviously an unbelievable ball-striker. So it’s really cool watching him play some golf.”

Brown has already accumulated over $150K on the Korn Ferry Tour, making 10 of 16 cuts in his career. He added another check of $93,318, tying with PGA Tour comeback player Will Zalatoris and Rickie Fowler, who is still searching for a 2026 Masters invite.

The young golfer had a busy week, starting the final day tied with Scheffler but eventually falling slightly down the leaderboard. Brown described his travel experience before the tournament began.

“Finished the round. Had to quickly take a shower and then drove to the airport,” said Brown. “Then hopped on a massive ONEflight jet. Ferren Rajput, he was kind of enough to escort me on the way here. It was a six-hour flight. I think it was his jet, so it was awesome. My second time ever flying private. It was beautiful.”

After arriving around 8:00 p.m. last night, Brown grabbed some Panda Express, did some grocery shopping, and went to sleep at 10:00. He woke up at around 5:00 a.m., arrived early to practice, and enjoyed a bogey-free round despite the wind conditions.

A whirlwind week for Brown ended with a nearly $100K check and increased popularity after he played “rock-paper-scissors” during a round and finished in the top-20. His performance not only showcased his talent but also captured the attention of fans and media alike.