Exclusive: Blades Brown reveals hilarious Scottie Scheffler moment as teenage star eyes PGA Tour history

Rising PGA Tour star Blades Brown has revealed to GolfMagic the lessons he has learned during his rapid rise onto the PGA Tour – including an unforgettable moment alongside Scottie Scheffler that left his own caddie questioning what he was doing.

At just 19, Brown is already knocking on the door for a full-time PGA Tour card.

The Nashville native has two potential routes to securing his place on golf's biggest stage for the 2027 season, and he is relishing the prospect of spending the remainder of 2026 moving between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour as he attempts to make history.

Brown currently sits 10th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List in his first season as a member after another impressive top-10 finish at the recent AdventHealth Championship.

He also holds Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour, having earned enough non-member FedExCup points to cross the required threshold following his tied-14th finish at the end of May's THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.

That status means Brown is eligible for unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the 2026 PGA Tour season, including the upcoming FedExCup Fall, which begins next month.

His route to earn a full PGA Tour card is therefore a two-pronged attack.

In nine appearances on the PGA Tour this season, Brown has chalked up an impressive six top-20 finishes, reflective of his comfort already at elite level. 

Brown can secure his card by collecting as many or more non-member FedExCup points as the player who finishes 70th in the final 2026 FedExCup Fall standings, or by finishing inside the top 20 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List.

And if he manages the latter, Brown will create a small piece of history.

Should he finish inside the top 20 when the Korn Ferry Tour season concludes at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship from October 8-11, he would become the youngest player ever to earn a PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour pathway.

The current record belongs to former World No.1 and 2015 PGA champion Jason Day, who earned his PGA Tour card aged 19 years, 11 months and 23 days.

Brown will be just 19 years, four months and 17 days old on the final Sunday of this year's Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

Speaking exclusively to GolfMagic Editor Andy Roberts, Brown admitted he is hugely excited about the possibility of making the PGA Tour his full-time home as of next season.

"I am extremely excited. The PGA Tour has been a place I have wanted to play for a long time now," Brown said. 

"For that to become a reality will be really cool."

For now, however, his immediate focus is much closer to home.

Brown's next stop is the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation in Nashville, where he will have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family in his hometown.

"A few of my buddies are off to college, a few of them are coming out to watch me, so I can't wait for that," he said.

Brown refuses to get carried away by recent form

Brown's latest top-10 finish at the AdventHealth Championship moved him into 10th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List and continued a hugely encouraging run of form.

He has now recorded three top-10 finishes in his last four starts.

But despite those results, Brown insists he is not allowing his position on the standings to dictate how he approaches his golf.

His philosophy is refreshingly simple: keep improving and let the results take care of themselves.

"Obviously if I'm missing cuts then I probably need to go back to the drawing board to figure out a couple of things," Brown explained.

"But I am just focused on the continuous improvement of my game. As long as my game is getting better, and as long as the way I think about golf is improving, results will just take care of themselves."

That mentality has served Brown particularly well since he made the decision to turn professional at just 17, choosing to forgo college in favour of beginning his career immediately.

A year prior to turning professional, Brown broke Bobby Jones' record as the youngest medalist at stroke play in U.S. Amateur history.

Jones had set the record aged 18 in 1920, and it remained unbroken for 103 years.

Brown then made his first PGA Tour cut at the 2024 Mexico Open and subsequently secured full-time Korn Ferry Tour status.

Rather than becoming consumed by the hype surrounding his rise, Brown has repeatedly spoken about the importance of "running his own race".

His current position suggests that approach is working well. 

The Korn Ferry Tour has taught Brown there is no right way to play

For a young player who has already spent significant time competing against PGA Tour stars, it would be easy to assume that the developmental circuit represents a major step down. But Brown emphatically disagrees. 

In fact, one of the biggest lessons he has taken from his first full season as a Korn Ferry Tour member is just how many different ways there are to play good golf.

"I could honestly give you 10,000 things," he joked when asked what he had learned from moving between the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour.

Brown explained that he and his mother had recently been discussing the unusual swings and playing styles found throughout the KFT. 

"You will see some guy on the Korn Ferry Tour who will have the most unique, interesting swing you'll ever see, and then you'll be like that dude will shoot 80, and then you look and see he's leading the tournament, and you're like 'What?!'"

For Brown, that is an important lesson.

There isn't a single textbook swing or style that guarantees success.

He pointed to Ryan Fox as an example of a player who has succeeded despite having a distinctive action, with the New Zealander going on to win The Open this summer.

"There are just so many swings out here that come in different shapes and sizes, and there is no one way to get the ball in the hole," Brown said.

"That's what the Korn Ferry Tour has taught me is that you have to make birdies out here and have to get the ball in the hole."

'What are you doing? You're playing against him!'

The best anecdote from our exclusive with Brown came when the conversation turned to The American Express earlier this year.

Brown's performance that week announced himself on the PGA Tour stage in spectacular fashion.

He fired a sensational 12-under 60 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West during the second round, narrowly missing the opportunity to become the first player in PGA Tour history to shoot 59 at the venue.

That put him firmly into contention heading into the final round, where he was paired with none other than World No.1 Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler would eventually win the tournament, while Brown carded a final-round 74 to finish tied 18th.

Yet despite the disappointing finish, the experience of playing alongside Scheffler remains the highlight of Brown's season. 

And his recollection of the 1st tee perfectly captures just how surreal the occasion must have been for the then 18-year-old still establishing himself on the PGA Tour.

Brown, now 19, recalled hearing the announcer introduce Scheffler. 

"And now on the tee, Scottie Scheffler..."

Brown's instinctive reaction?

He started clapping.

"My caddie was like, 'What are you doing? You're playing against him!'"

Brown suddenly realised his mistake.

"And I was like, 'Oh yeah, wait.'"

While an amusing monent, it's one that says plenty about Brown's attitude.

Here was a teenager who had grown up watching Scheffler become the dominant player in world golf, suddenly standing on the 1st tee alongside him with a chance to win a PGA Tour event.

Brown admitted the atmosphere was "electric".

"That was probably the highlight of the season so far," he said.

"I am just really looking forward to hopefully being in that situation again very soon."

Given the trajectory of his career, it would be no surprise to see that happen.

Wyndham Clark taught Brown another PGA Tour lesson: putting matters

Brown has also taken valuable lessons from playing alongside some of the game's biggest names this season. 

One of those came from reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, whom Brown played with at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.

The lesson was brutally simple.

"You have to be able to putt well."

Brown was particularly impressed by Clark's ability to convert putts from distance.

"That dude just doesn't seem to miss a putt inside 30 feet," Brown said.

His comments came after Clark won his third PGA Tour title of the season at the BMW Championship, strengthening his credentials in the Player of the Year debate.

Brown watched closely as Clark's putting temporarily deserted him before the American found another gear when it mattered most.

"The way he putted turned off on Sunday at the BMW Championship, but then you see him when it matters down the closing stretch and he holed everything on the final three holes."

That ability to find something when the pressure is at its highest is clearly something Brown has taken notice of.

Brown predicts a fascinating Player of the Year finish

Asked who should win the PGA Tour Player of the Year award, Brown believes the answer could ultimately be determined at this week's Tour Championship.

Clark's third win of the season has made the race considerably closer, especially with a major in the bank, but Brown still highlighted Scheffler's remarkable consistency.

"Scottie has been so consistent throughout the year," Brown said.

"And I know he's only won twice but he's come second five times, so it's going to be so close."

His view mirrors the thinking of Rory McIlroy, who has also suggested the final outcome could come down to who performs best at the Tour Championship.

Clark, of course, is not the only challenger.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young have also enjoyed standout seasons and remain part of the conversation.

But Brown's comments underline just how difficult the award may be to call.

Brown welcomes PGA Tour's proposed new structure

Brown also offered his thoughts on the PGA Tour's radical plans for 2028, which include the introduction of a Championship Series and Challenger Series, and a defined off-season.

The American described himself as broadly neutral on the overall changes but particularly welcomed the prospect of finally having a genuine break from competitive golf.

"The PGA Tour is a place I have wanted to play for a long time now," Brown reiterated. 

Brown grew up in a household where golf and basketball were both major passions, and he used basketball's traditional off-season as an interesting comparison.

"When people say when's the off-season, I'm like well there isn't one because we play all year round," he continued.

While Brown acknowledged that playing year-round is "awesome to an extent", he believes an off-season could be extremely valuable for players.

"If I need to go work on something for a significant amount of time then it will give me the time to do that."

And what will Brown be doing with all that spare time?

Probably not family holidays with a wife and children just yet.

"I know other players are happy to as they will be able to spend some time with their family, wife and kids," he joked.

"That is not me, I do not have a wife and kids, so I'll be doing other things!"

FloQast support means a lot to Brown

Brown's rapid emergence has also attracted support from a number of brands, including accounting software company FloQast, which helped facilitate his conversation with GolfMagic this week. 

The Los Angeles-based company, founded in 2013, provides close management software for corporate accounting departments.

For Brown, however, the relationship is about considerably more than a logo on a shirt.

He said he is "extremely encouraged" by the partnership and appreciates what it means for a company to invest in a young player before he has fully established himself on the PGA Tour.

"For another company to come and partner with me and say 'hey we believe in you and we will help you out', I am just extremely honoured to be in that position," he said.

Brown has also built a relationship with FloQast co-founder and CEO Mike Whitmire, whom he met at The American Express earlier this season. 

And, naturally, Brown has already noticed a rather remarkable correlation between Whitmire's attendance and his own scoring.

"I told him I need him at more events because every time he shows up I shoot 60, so he better show up to the next couple of events!"

Brown's relationship with his sponsors appears to be another sign of the maturity that has characterised his rise.

The next chapter is already beginning

Brown's immediate schedule is now becoming clearer.

Nashville comes first, followed by the Korn Ferry Tour's playoff events, with his participation ultimately dependent on how many points he needs to secure his position.

Then comes the FedExCup Fall and the opportunity to add further non-member points towards a PGA Tour card.

The beauty of Brown's situation is that he doesn't have to rely on a single route.

He can continue climbing the Korn Ferry Tour standings while simultaneously taking advantage of his Special Temporary Membership and sponsor exemptions on the PGA Tour.

And with a place inside the Korn Ferry Tour's top 20 already within reach, history is firmly in sight.

At 19 years old, Brown is already competing with and learning from players he once watched on television.

He has played alongside Scheffler, taken putting lessons from Clark and competed deep into PGA Tour events against the world's best.

Six top-20 finishes from nine PGA Tour starts this season highlight just how comfortable Brown has already become competing against the world's best.

His course-record 12-under 60 at The American Express showed the level of golf he is capable of producing.

The challenge now is consistency.

Brown's own philosophy suggests he understands that perfectly well: keep improving, don't obsess over results and let the standings take care of themselves.

If he continues along his current trajectory, the question may soon stop being whether Blades Brown can reach the PGA Tour.

It could instead become just how far the teenager can go once he gets there.

And if he does secure his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour pathway this autumn, he'll do it in record-breaking fashion – becoming the youngest player ever to achieve the feat.

For a player who once instinctively clapped when Scheffler's name was announced on the 1st tee, that would be quite the next step.