Blades Brown was standing on the verge of equalling Charles Kocsis’ record of winning a PGA Tour event at the age of 18. While he unfortunately missed out on the opportunity at The American Express, there were a lot of positives for the American golfer. Going neck-to-neck with world number 1 Scottie Scheffler, Brown ultimately ended his AmEx stint in a tie for the 18th place. Notably, the 18-year-old had an unforgettable moment with none other than Scheffler. 

“I made a putt, for birdie on hole two, and he’s grinding. I think he just missed a par putt, and he was like, ‘Hey, good putt there.’ And I could tell that, he generally meant like, hey, good shot there. So it’s l’ve all positive things to say about Scottie Scheffler,” said Brown. 

The excitement level seems to be brimming within Brown. And expectedly so, as any young golfer would be elated to receive praise from the World No. 1 golfer.

Following his incredible performance, Brown spoke to Smylie Kaufman during an interview. Kaufman immediately asked him whether he had the opportunity to have a chat with Scheffler.

Replying to the question, the young golfing phenom stated that although he was overwhelmed with Scheffler’s presence, he controlled his instincts. Brown pointed out that he did not want to create a distraction for the champion golfer and respected his personal space. But even then, Brown quite starstruck to witness Scheffler play up close. 

“I mean, I had to pinch myself a couple of times because l’m like, l’ve seen this guy so many times on TV, and I’m now playing around with him on the PGA tour. So, I was speechless playing with today with Scottie Scheffler,” said Brown.

Brown finished off the week with a score of 19-under par after 72 holes, which is a phenomenal outcome for somebody of his age at the elite level. Pocketing a substantial paycheck of $118,000, Brown signed off from The American Express with his hands full, and some valuable learnings, which will help him improve his game in the future.

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Blades Brown reflects on the positives after a tough game with Scottie Scheffler

Blades Brown began the day standing in a strong position on the leaderboard. The teenage phenom was tied with Scheffler and just one shot behind Kim. Early on, he looked steady as he reached one under through the first four holes. He managed to keep himself close enough to challenge for the winning position. Then came the turning point. 

The momentum changed on the par-5 fifth. His drive drifted left and found the water. Following that It took five shots to reach the green, and he made a double-bogey. However, Brown didn’t fold. Despite the setback, he regrouped and played solid golf over the next nine holes. But Scheffler made sure to use this passage of play to shift his gears. Shooting five under in the same stretch, Scottie Scheffler took control of the game.

However, although the young golfer failed to secure a win, he was glad that he got to witness Scheffler’s shots on the greens.

Blades Brown shared, “I was feeling really good throughout the entire round. I would say one of the coolest things that I learned today was how underrated Scottie Scheffler’s short game is. … To see it in person and just to look at kind of the trajectory and the spin, and just the control that he has with his wedges and short game. Obviously, his putting is insane too. It was really cool to watch. So I’m definitely going to go work on that.”

Brown faced heavy pressure late in the round, knowing a top-10 finish would earn him a spot at next week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. But unfortunately, two bogeys over his final four holes, including a costly three-putt on 18, meant that he missed out. Despite the disappointment, he chose to stay optimistic as he reflected on how he has learnt a lot about the sport in the last few days. He shared that he is more concerned about his own improvement at the moment rather than competing with others.