Teenager Blades Brown narrowly
misses a 59. He's tied for American Express lead with Scheffler
[January 24, 2026]
By DOUG FERGUSON
LA QUINTA, Calif (AP) — A chaotic week for 18-year-old Blades Brown
was an inch away from a most spectacular highlight Friday when he
narrowly missed a 6-foot birdie putt for 59, leaving him tied for
the lead in The American Express with Scottie Scheffler.
Brown, who turned pro last year and is weeks removed from graduating
high school, needed only one birdie over the final three holes on
the Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA West, the easiest of three
courses in the rotation in ideal weather.
He hit a gap wedge just right of the pin on his last hole, the par-4
ninth. He had the advantage of seeing David Ford go first on the
same line. He picked his spot, rolled the putt and it stayed right,
grazing the edge as the gallery groaned.
No matter.
“I'm so stoked,” he said, along with needing what he called a “fat
nap.”
Brown earned Korn Ferry Tour status last year and was in the Bahamas
for a tournament that didn't end until Wednesday. He used a flight
voucher he earned from a top-50 finish in the Myrtle Beach Classic
last year to fly private to Palm Springs, arriving to his hotel
about 8 p.m. on the eve of The American Express, where he is playing
on a sponsor exemption.
And now he goes into the weekend tied with golf's best player.
“We're going to see what happens,” Brown said.
Scheffler wasn't quite as sharp as he was in the opening round and
still managed a bogey-free 64 on the Nicklaus course, playing before
the largest gallery and two groups ahead of Brown.
Scheffler has started on the two easiest courses — he faces the
Stadium Course on Saturday — and was only 2 under through eight
holes at Nicklaus Tournament. That feels like losing ground. But
then he hit into 4 feet for birdie at No. 18, made the turn and
birdied two of the next three, and then ran off three straight
birdies late in the round.
“I didn’t get off to the start I would have hoped to get off to
today,” Scheffler said. “Outside of that, I did a really good job on
the back nine of staying patient and didn’t really try to force
things out there. I made a good birdie on my ninth hole today, which
was 18, and made some nice birdies on that back nine.
“We’re halfway done, but I put myself in good position after two
days with two solid rounds, and just looking forward to hopefully
putting up another solid round tomorrow and then we’ll see where
we’re at going into Sunday.”
What typically is a casual tournament in the Coachella Valley, set
among desert mountains and palm trees and emerald green fairways,
was a sellout on Friday.
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Scottie Scheffler waves to the crowd after making a birdie putt at
the first hole during the first round of the American Express golf
event at La Quinta County Club Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in La
Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Scheffler is a big draw in the strongest field in years. And now
there's a teenager who was one putt away from becoming the youngest
player in PGA Tour history to break 60.
Brown got attention quickly when he was 8 under through seven holes
— six birdies and a 25-foot eagle putt on No. 11 after starting on
the back nine.
“And then 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.’ 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.”
Brown wasn't alone. As he was teeing off on his final hole at the
Nicklaus course with a shot at 59, Andrew Putnam was on the 18th
hole at La Quinta, needing birdie to break 60.
Both made par. And the tournament is half over, with thoughts now
turning to a weekend that features Scheffler looming large as ever
atop the leaderboard with a teenager, both at 17-under 127.
Scheffler doesn't know much about Brown except that he turned pro
while still in high school. He also heard that he was in the Korn
Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas (Brown tied for 17th) without
realizing it didn't end until Wednesday and he flew straight to PGA
West.
“So he's in form,” Scheffler said with a smile.
“These kids coming out, they know they got to come out and make some
birdies,” Scheffler said. “I think when you’re coming out young you
don’t have as much scar tissue as the guys that are a little bit
more seasoned, and you just come out, and if you want to make a name
for yourself you got to put up some good scores.
“It sounds like an 18-year-old shooting 59 is a pretty good start to
his career there.”
This was before Brown missed his short birdie putt on the final
hole, but the point stands. It was an impressive round of golf for
anyone, much less an 18-year-old.
Si Woo Kim, a past champion here, shot 65 on the tougher Stadium
Course and was one shot behind, and plenty more players were lined
up behind him.
Eleven players were separated by three shots at the halfway point, a
group that included Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark, both three
behind. The cut is not made until Saturday after everyone has played
all three courses.
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