In an exciting twist of events, Nashville golfer Blades Brown achieved his highest career finish on the PGA Tour during The American Express tournament. As of January 25, 2026, Brown started the final round in a promising position, just behind world number one Scottie Scheffler and Si Woo Kim, both of whom were in the same final grouping.
However, after a challenging round filled with ups and downs, Brown ultimately finished in a tie for 18th place—his best performance to date—at La Quinta Country Club in California. He concluded the tournament with a scorecard showing a 2-over par 74 for the day, bringing his total score for the week to an impressive 19-under par overall. The 18-year-old from Nashville opened the round strong, going 1-under par through the first four holes before hitting a setback with a double-bogey on the par-5 fifth hole, a setback that was particularly disappointing on a course known for yielding low scores.
A few bogeys later in the round, including one on the final hole, left Brown outside the top 10 and without a spot in the upcoming Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, scheduled for January 29 to February 1. In contrast, Scheffler enjoyed a comfortable win, finishing four shots ahead of the competition at 27-under par, with Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty, and Andrew Putnam trailing behind.
Amidst a week filled with personal highlights, Brown's second-round performance was particularly noteworthy; he shot a remarkable course-record 60, marking the lowest round recorded by an 18-year-old on the PGA Tour in 43 years. This top-20 finish capped off an impressive stretch of competitive play for Brown, which included a tie for 17th in a Korn Ferry Tour event held in the Bahamas just days earlier, concluding on January 21.
