Blades Brown youngest PGA Tour winner since 1931 with WWT Championship

Former Brentwood Academy golfer Blades Brown became the fourth-youngest PGA Tour winner in history when he defeated Ben James on the second sudden-death playoff hole on Nov. 8 in the World Wide Technology Championship in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Brown is 19 years, 5 months and 18 days old. The three golfers who won at a younger age did so in 1931 or earlier.

He is also the first teenager to win on the PGA Tour since Jordan Spieth won the 2013 John Deere Classic. Speith was 19 at the time and two weeks away from his 20th birthday.

Brown skipped college and became the youngest Korn Ferry Tour graduate to earn his PGA Tour membership on Oct. 15. The WWT Championship win came in his 22nd career PGA Tour start.

BLADE BROWN YOUNGEST TO EARN PGA CARD: Blades Brown becomes youngest to earn PGA Tour card via Korn Ferry Tour

“It hasn’t set in just yet, I guess, the magnitude of being a PGA Tour winner,” Brown said. “Golf is one of the best games, is one of the greatest games in the world. It challenges you mentally, physically, spiritually. It challenges you in every aspect of us, right?

“I just go back to, you know, 5-year-old Blades that was watching the TV and watching Tiger Woods and all those great players win major championships, and to think that I’m now in a similar spot with having won a PGA Tour event is mind blowing.”

After finishing the final round tied with James at 23-under, Brown sank a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th green at El Cardonal at Diamante to claim the win and cap a remarkable comeback. He entered the final round trailing James, the leader, by seven strokes.

In his comeback, Brown birded nine of his first 15 holes. His 10th birdie came on the par-5 18th hole, and he finished the final round at 9-under 63.

James is a 23-year-old PGA Tour rookie out of Virginia. He entered the final round with a four-shot lead. He missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole, allowing Brown the opportunity to make his putt for the win.

Brown said he was relieved to get his first PGA Tour victory and did not expect it to come so early in his career.

“I’m so thankful to be in this position. It’s remarkable,” he said. “And it was so special seeing my dad (Parke Brown) here and giving him a big bear hug after we finished the tournament.”

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Blades Brown youngest PGA Tour winner since 1931 with WWT Championship