PGA Tour
Self-proclaimed teen putting 'artist' Blades Brown produces birdie masterpiece in AmEx

Blades Brown reacts to a putt in the second round of The American Express.
Orlando Ramirez
It’s already been established that Blades Brown does not lack confidence. When the then-16-year-old chipped in for birdie during his PGA Tour debut as an amateur in last May’s Myrtle Beach Classic, he entertained reporters later by recounting that, "I told [caddie] Jack, 'You're about to see some sauce right here,' and then it went in, and my eardrum is still ringing from the guy that was going, 'Blades!' It was electric."
The kid, now 17, will fast become a fan favorite if he keeps up with quips, and he had another sharp one on Friday after scorching the PGA West Nicklaus Course for 10 birdies—including six in a row—in a second-round 64 in the American Express that put Brown in good position (T-40) to play on Sunday in his first event as a pro. (The cut in the three-course tournament comes after Saturday’s third round.)
“I'm not an artist, but I am an artist on the putting green,” Brown said after tying for fourth in the field in putts per green in regulation.
That could sound boastful, but Brown’s reputation is that he’s an extremely deft putter. Earlier this week, the only swing coach he’s ever had, Graham Benson, told the Palm Springs Desert Sun, “He’s always had this confidence in his putting; it’s always been incredible, even as a youngster.”
Brown used that talent to become the No. 1 AJGA boys’ player in the country and in that Myrtle Beach appearance on the tour he made the cut and finished T-26. In December, Brown made the decision to forgo college and turn pro.
He got off to a slow start in the AmEx by shooting only even par on the easiest of the courses, La Quinta Country Club, and finding himself tied for 116th place. Brown admitted to getting his process “sped” up on Thursday with the attention and cameras and added of how he approached Friday, “I said a couple prayers and just ... I play golf right now for a living, and I promise you, there are a lot more challenging things than playing golf for a living. Whether it's a kid lying in a bed in cancer, there's a lot to be grateful for out here. I think keeping it in perspective that you get to play golf for free on an unbelievable golf course and with awesome people, so I think just keeping it in perspective definitely helped me today.”
Brown’s only birdies in his first round came in a streak of three, and he went on a true heater in the second round by making birdies on six straight holes at the 12th through 17th of the Nicklaus Course after starting on No. 10. More birdies came at Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 7 before the round ended with a bogey at the ninth.
“When I got three in a row I was, like, OK, we got to get the putter in my hand,” Brown said. “I love to putt, putting is my favorite aspect of golf. Yesterday I was having a difficult time getting the putter in my hand. Luckily, I was able to get the putter in my hand a lot today, so it was a lot of fun.”
At eight under for the tournament, Brown trails co-leaders Charley Hoffman and Rico Hoey by eight shots. Oddly, Hoffman, who is 31 years Brown’s senior, was the U.S. team captain when Brown played in the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal.
On Friday, after shooting one better (63) than Brown on the Nicklaus Course, Hoffman deemed the teenager as “very polished” and recalled going to the gym at 5 one morning in Montreal and Brown already was there working out. “I don’t know if I had that work ethic at 17 … I promise you I didn’t. I don’t know what the gym was," Hoffman said.
“He puts the work in, he's a solid golfer, and obviously the future's very bright for him,” Hoffman continued. “… It's a tough training ground out here on the PGA Tour, and hopefully he gets some success early on.”
It’s only one round, but 10 birdies and a 64 show some promise.