A 17-year-old golf phenom is skipping college to chase his pro dreams.
Blades Brown, the top-ranked junior golfer in America, announced Tuesday he’s turning pro instead of playing college golf. He’ll make his first appearance as a professional at the PGA Tour’s American Express tournament this January.
“This is not a decision that I take lightly,” Brown said. “While I’m proud of my amateur career, I’m focused on the future and getting off to a strong start as a pro.”
The Nashville teen has already made history. In 2023, he became the youngest medalist ever at the U.S. Amateur, breaking a record set by Bobby Jones that had stood for over 100 years.
That’s not all. Last summer, he joined some pretty impressive company – Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett are the only other players who’ve ever won medals at both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur.
His amateur career has been spectacular. Brown dominated three AJGA tournaments last year and won the Tennessee State Junior by an incredible 12 shots.
Athletics runs in the family. His mom, Rhonda, was a basketball star at Vanderbilt before becoming the first pick in the 1998 WNBA expansion draft. She even made history herself by sinking the first three-pointer in WNBA history.
Brown recently tried his hand at PGA Tour qualifying school but missed advancing by just two shots.
He’s signed with Sportfive agent Tommy Riehle, who represents Akshay Bhatia – another former junior golf star who skipped college and now competes on the PGA Tour.
The decision means Brown has withdrawn from this month’s Walker Cup practice session, where he’s been replaced by Auburn senior Carson Bacha.
