The American Express ended as many expected with a win by Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1) in his first tournament of 2026, but Blades Brown (Callaway Chrome Tour Dot) provided a glimpse of a future star.
When he shot a record 12-under par 60 on the Nicklaus Course on Friday, narrowly missing a birdie attempt on the final hole, the 18-year-old had the golf world buzzing.
He came down to reality in the final two rounds, playing the final day in the last grouping with Scheffler and Si Woo Kim (Callaway Chrome Soft X). Brown shot two-under par on Sunday to finish tied for 18th at 19-under par.
Scheffler was in his zone that day, shooting six-under par to finish at 27-under par. No one was close. While some tried to take a run at the lead, they simply played just good enough. As has become the custom, players have to card a crazy number in the final round to have any hope of beating Scheffler. They’re not only playing the course, but they’re also playing him.
Scheffler has become this generation’s comparison of Tiger Woods (Bridgestone Tour B XS), but without the hype. He just might be the humblest superstar now in all of sports.
As for Brown, who played on a sponsor’s exemption, it will be interesting if the young pro can turn last week’s flash with greatness into something of a regular occurrence. Adam Stanley wrote on the PGA Tour website on Friday that Scheffler had more wins on the PGA Tour (19) than Brown had birthdays (18). I thought that was clever.
Remember Nick Dunlap (Titleist Pro V1), who was the rage as an amateur winning the American Express? It was a great story, and he immediately turned pro rather than staying in university, in which he had accomplished all he could do. It has been tough sledding, missing cuts and generally struggling to finish in the top 10. He had to withdraw after the second round on last week’s American Express in which he would have been hard-pressed to make the cut.
It is one thing to do well or even win a tournament as an amateur or teenage pro when the pressure isn’t that great. The pressure will now mount off his recent showing playing against seasoned pros.
The golf world hadn’t really heard of Brown before last week, though he had some footnotes of glory. I thought his first name was a nickname for irons.
Alas, that’s his mother’s maiden name. She played professional basketball with the New York Liberty and made the first successful three-point shot in league history. There’s a lot to use to drive sponsors his way.
Brown played in the American Express last year but failed to make the cut. He missed the cut in five of eight PGA Tour tournaments, and his best finish was a T34. He missed four of 14 Korry Ferry tournaments, his best result a T2 in the Veritex Bank Championship.
He might be better of playing regularly in the Korn Ferry Tour, but that will be up to his parents and team.
Seven years ago, Akshay Bhatia (Callaway Chrome Tour) turned pro at age 17. After playing on some lower-level tours, it wasn’t until 2023 that he won his first PGA Tour event, the Barracuda Championship. Overall, he’s done well and is probably somewhere among the top 60 players in the world.
QUICK NOTES: I’m glad the LPGA will have a chance to gain some increased exposure with the newly launched WTGL. Professional women’s sports are on the rise. Though I’m not crazy about these indoor tournaments – I rarely watch the men’s event – at least it’s viewing content…Don’t know what it is, but Ludvig Aberg (Titleist 2025 Pro V1x) had to withdraw from the American Express after the second round because of illness. He was well within the limit for the cut. Last year he had to withdraw from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after the first round. Tab him for a win in the next few weeks. As an aside, is there any other PGA Tour player who plays as quickly as Aberg and with a sweeter swing?…Had to feel bad for Nico Echavarria (2025 Titleist Pro V1x), who looked to be a shoo-in to make the cut, until he had a disastrous late finish, including plunking three balls in the water on the island green 17th hole. He finished the hole six-over. Many players hit their tee shots in the water on the treacherous 17th…Now that he is 50, pundits are wondering whether Woods will join the Champions Tour. I’m guessing he will at some point, which would certainly raise the Tour profile. It will probably happen later this year or more likely next year. The grind and commitment won’t be so challenging…I didn’t mind watching the Golf Channel’s coverage of the American Express because CBS was occupied with the NFL playoff coverage. By the way, I like Seattle to win the Super Bowl straight up, not sure against the spread.
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