Brown becomes youngest PGA winner in 95 years
The 19-year-old beat Ben James in a playoff at the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos.
By Elena Perry ·
Blades Brown won the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Sunday. The 19-year-old victory makes him the youngest winner in PGA Tour history in 95 years. He defeated Ben James on the second hole of a sudden death playoff.
Brown finished at 23 under par with a final round score of 63. He trailed by two shots entering the final stretch but birdied the last three holes to take the lead. He closed with a pitch shot that landed six feet from the pin for his final birdie.
James entered the final round with a four-shot lead. He salvaged his tournament by hitting a 285-yard shot into 20 feet on the par-5 18th hole. James made that eagle putt to force the playoff after missing an 8-foot birdie attempt earlier in the round.
"It hasn’t set in just yet, I guess, the magnitude of being a PGA Tour winner," Brown said. He compared his current position to watching Tiger Woods win major championships on television when he was five years old.
The last player to win a PGA Tour event at a younger age was Charles Kocsis. Kocsis won the Michigan Open in 1931 at age 18. That tournament was considered a regional event in the early years of the professional game.
Brown turned professional while a junior in high school. He earned his PGA Tour card this year by finishing in the top 20 in Korn Ferry Tour points. James was the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking last season.
On the first playoff hole, both players missed eagle chances with their approach shots. Their drives on the second playoff hole landed next to each other just short of the green. James' birdie putt from eight feet grazed the right edge of the cup and ran out. Brown made his putt from three feet to claim the title.
James has five top-five finishes and two runner-up results in 13 starts since turning pro. He missed the win by a narrow margin after a strong final round performance. He described his clutch eagle as a result of a good line and a good putt.
Brown will receive a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. This exemption places him in the elite Championship Series when the tour's new model begins in 2028. The victory also secures his entry in the PGA Championship next year.
Denny McCarthy took the lead during the final round with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole. He had been winless in 240 starts over nine years. McCarthy finished with a score of 69 after hitting double bogey on the 17th hole.
