Blades Brown made history in his pro debut, but did something even more impressive after missing the cut.
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Blades Brown made waves and PGA Tour history in his second round on Friday at the American Express in La Quinta, California.
After opening with a pedestrian 72 on Thursday, the 17-year-old Brown, who made his debut this week, made eight birdies in the nine holes on Friday at the Nicklaus Course to shoot a 64. on the PGA Tour by a player under the age of 18 in the last 40 years.
Despite a hot Friday, Brown still needed a solid round on Saturday to make the cut. But the Pete Dye Stadium Course was better for the 17-year-old as Brown played the final five holes in 4-over-par, including a water ball on the par-3 17th. He finished his three rounds at 6 under, which was three behind the cut line.
While Brown didn’t have the Saturday he envisioned, the 17-year-old offered wisdom beyond his years as he looks to the future.
“Golf is a weird, funny game,” Brown told Golf Channel after his third round. “You’re going to get good breaks from bad shots and bad breaks from good shots. But I will hold my head high. This is going to be a little shaky, but I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Brown plans to use his missteps Saturday as a learning experience the next time he puts together a PGA Tour event. (Brown plans to try Monday to qualify for next week’s Farmers Insurance Open.) He entered his information at American Express. He’ll have surgery later to remove what was still a successful player, with his failed tee shot on 17 a prime example of how he can improve.
“I think mentally, I can grow right there,” Brown said of the water polo that helped seal his fate. “I mean, there’s a lot going on at this golf course. Thank you and thank you for being here.”
Brown admitted he was “mentally exhausted” as he hit the par-3 17th. He’ll have to work on getting his mind set in order to find a home at the top of professional golf.
The 17-year-old could only view his week at American Express as a fun one – one that included history with the hot putter and plenty of lessons that should help shape him as he tries to break through the professional golf scene.
“There was an explosion of competition on the PGA TOUR,” Brown said Saturday. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t convert to the ground, but, I mean, a lot of practice. I’m glad I’m doing it right now; that way I can learn. My dad always says, ‘You win and you learn,’ and I’m definitely going to learn from this experience.”
Blades Brown has a game to play on the PGA Tour. But it takes more than a crisp iron play and a sense of creativity for the greens to win on tour.
After a disappointing end to his American Express week, Brown showed the mental strength needed to keep up with his swing.
The combination should help build a bright future for the 17-year-old act. This week was just a preview of what could happen.
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