Blades Brown, 17, looks to make Nick Dunlap history at PGA Tour's American Express
01/15/2025 08:30 PM
The PGA Tour is rolling into California for The American Express this week. Last season, amateur Nick Dunlap won his first professional event in a history-making appearance. N0w, 17-year-old Blades Brown makes his professional debut looking to make similar history. He spoke with reporters about the Dunlap connection ahead of the tournament.
“Absolutely, yeah,” Brown said when asked if he takes any confidence from last year’s result. “Nick has been a huge inspiration for me ever since, because I was watching that live on TV when he made that 6-footer on the 18th green, and it just gave me so much inspiration to know that somebody else similar to my age is able to do that. And then it raises the question, what if I can do that? So it was so cool to be able to watch an amateur win The American Express last year.”
Brown had a fantastic amateur career that pushed him to turn pro before graduating high school. He earned stroke-play medalist honors at the 2023 United States Amateur and won the 2024 American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year Award.
While he is not a PGA Tour member, Brown can make himself a household name with a great performance at the American Express.
What to know about Blades Brown before his PGA Tour debut
Brown is a 17-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, and is a professional golfer. But he is not a PGA Tour member because he is not 18 years old. He is in the field on a sponsor’s exemption, which he is allowed to do 7 times per season before becoming a member. When he turns 18 in May, he can start earning PGA and Korn Ferry Tour points.
While this is Brown’s professional debut, it is not his PGA Tour debut. He played in the Myrtle Beach Classic last season, which was an opposite-field event the same week as the Wells Fargo Championship last year. He made the cut and finished T26 at 16 years old.
Blades Brown has been a hot name in amateur golf for the last two years and is ready to make his professional debut. The American Express takes place over three different golf courses which poses a difficult challenge for the rookie. He starts on the La Quinta course and tees off at 1:42 p.m. on Thursday.
Brown has a bright future and can make a stamp on the PGA Tour in The American Express, just like Nick Dunlap did.
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