Teenager Nearly Shoots 59 at American Express, Co-Leads with Scottie Scheffler

The American Express seems to have a knack for identifying golf’s next generation of stars.

In 2024, 20-year-old Nick Dunlap became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991. Now, fast forward two years, and Blades Brown, 18, is displaying his own improbability at La Quinta Country Club in Palm Springs.

And it nearly included shooting the 16th sub-60 round in Tour history.

On the Nicklaus Course’s 461-yard, par-4 9th, Brown’s final hole of Round 2 (he started on the back nine), he smashed his tee shot and needed only a gap wedge into the green, which he’d knock within 10 feet of the hole. But his putt for 59 sailed to the right, and he’d sign for a 60—setting the course record.

“I saw my spot just a little before the hole,” Brown said afterward. “I got a great read off [playing partner] David Ford. He dripped it in there and it went right dead center. So I was thinking, ‘okay, maybe just a little outside right edge.’ Unfortunately, it didn’t break, but it’s alright. I’m not worried about it.”

SO CLOSE to a 59 🤏

18-year-old @BladesBrown2026 posts a 60 to set the Nicklaus Tournament Course record @TheAmExGolf.

📺 Golf Channel https://t.co/D5oS95Lp59 pic.twitter.com/aiCfm7GFqL
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 23, 2026

Why is that? Because the round tied Brown for the lead with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. That makes Brown the youngest player to hold a lead following any round on Tour since 17-year-old Ty Tyron at the 2001 B.C. Open.

“When you’re playing on the PGA Tour, you’re going to feel all the emotions,” said the Tennessee native, who sits at 17 under par. “I think it's just about regulating and normalizing the situation. I was able to do that pretty solidly coming down the stretch.”

His first nine, though, is what put him on 59 watch—and helped him snatch the co-lead. After a first-round 5-under 67, Brown began Friday with seven birdies in a row, including an eagle on his second hole, sinking a nearly 25-foot putt.

Ironically, Brown made six consecutive birdies last year on the Nicklaus Course’s back nine. That was his pro debut, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, but he’d go on to miss the 54-hole cut and would fail to secure a weekend tee time in five of his eight Tour starts last season.

There are lofty expectations for Brown, though. The son of Rhonda Blades Brown, the first pick in the 1998 WNBA draft, he was a top-ranked junior player in the country and, in 2024, joined Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett as the only players to claim medalist honors at both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur.

Bypassing a college career by joining the Tour right out of high school, he currently holds status on the Korn Ferry Tour, which makes his opening 36 holes at La Quinta even more impressive.

How so?

Earlier this week, he was playing the KFT’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, a Sunday through Wednesday event. Following a T17 finish, he almost immediately flew 2,500 miles to utilize his exemption into the American Express, using a private jet voucher he received at last year’s ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

Now, he has a chance to be the first player to complete eight rounds in as many days between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours.

More importantly, though, he wants to become the second-youngest champion in Tour history (Charles Kocsis holds the record, winning the 1931 Michigan Open at 18 years, 6 months and 9 days old. Brown is 18 years, 8 months and 2 days).

Perhaps, a final-round tee time with Scheffler looms.

“Scottie is an unbelievable player, and have my name next to his name on the leaderboard means a lot,” Brown said on Golf Channel. “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.”

But even if Brown’s whirlwind week doesn’t end with him hoisting the trophy, the kids are once again alright at the American Express.

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