Blades Brown sets AmEx tournament course record with historic 60

Blades Brown had PGA Tour history on the line Friday at the American Express.

A missed putt on the ninth hole left the 18-year-old with a 12-under 60 for Round 2 — good enough for the Nicklaus Tournament Course record but a stroke off what would have made him the youngest player to shoot a 59.

“The putt didn’t drop on hole No. 9 but it’s the lowest round on the PGA Tour for me, and lots and lots of positives,” Brown told Golf Channel after his round.

Brown needed to play his final three holes in 1 under to reach golf’s magic number. Asked if he felt pressure down the stretch, the teen was honest.

“Absolutely, of course, I did,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the job done this time but I am so stoked to have shot 60 on the PGA Tour.”

Brown sits tied atop the leaderboard at 17 under through two rounds with the top-ranked player in the world, Scottie Scheffler.

“Scottie is an unbelievable player, and have my name next to his name on the leaderboard means a lot,” Brown said. “We’re only halfway there, and there’s a lot of golf to go so just going to focus on executing the shots I can and see what happens.”

He’s now the youngest player in PGA Tour history to record a round of 60 or better, besting Patrick Cantlay’s 60 at the 2011 Travelers Championship.

Cantlay was 19 years and three months old. Brown doesn’t turn 19 until May.

In addition to the single-round scoring record, Brown also became the youngest player to hold a lead or co-lead after any round on the PGA Tour since Ty Tryon (17) at the 2001 B.C. Open.

The breakout round for Brown came after shooting 5-under 67 at La Quinta Country Club a day earlier, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Brown’s week.

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It started when he posted a 68 on Sunday at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour. Brown made the cut for that tournament with a 74 on Monday, which meant playing two more days in the Caribbean.

He finished tied for 17th at The Abaco Club Wednesday, using a private jet coupon he won at Myrtle Beach two years ago to ensure he was teeing off on time Thursday at La Quinta.

“I’m going to get some food and then I’m going to take a nap and get some food,” Brown said after Round 2 on Friday.

Brown, a Tennessee native who joined the PGA Tour right out of high school, broke Bobby Jones’ 103-year-old record as the youngest medalist at stroke play in U.S. Amateur history when he was just 16.

Saturday will mark his seventh round of golf in as many days as the American Express does not have a cut until after Round 3 play.

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Tee times, pairings and how to watch Round 3 of The American Express, across all three course in La Quinta, California.

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If (when) he makes it to Sunday, Brown will have played eight straight tournament rounds. That will make him the first player, at least in modern history, to play eight competitive rounds between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours in as many days.

TJ Vogel, who made a similar trip from Korn Ferry Tour to The American Express during the same week, wound up getting cut after Round 3 play in 2022. That trip to California came on a commercial flight.

Brown got attention quickly on Friday when he was 8 under through seven holes — six birdies and an eagle putt on No. 11 after starting on the back nine.

“By the time we made the turn I said, ‘OK, couple birdies here on the front nine, let’s see how low we can go,’” he said. ‘When I stepped onto 18 tee box I knew what was at stake. I knew I needed a birdie to shoot 59, and I was just close this time.”