19-Year-Old Blades Brown Wins PGA Tour Event, Shattering 95-Year Age Record
Brown defeated Ben James in a playoff at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico to become the youngest champion since 1931.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
Blades Brown beat Ben James on the second hole of a playoff to win the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico. The 19-year-old victory makes Brown the youngest PGA Tour champion in 95 years. He finished the tournament at 23-under par with a total score of 265.
Brown closed the event with a 9-under 63. He overcame a seven-shot deficit in the final round to take the lead. The win ends a streak that began in 1931 when Charles Kocsis won the Michigan Open at age 18. Kocsis remains the last player younger than Brown to capture a PGA Tour title.
James, who was the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking last season, entered the final round with a four-shot lead. He lost that cushion but forced a playoff with an eagle on the 18th hole. James hit a 285-yard shot into 20 feet and made the putt to salvage a 70. It was the only putt he made all day that was longer than 15 feet.
In the first playoff hole, both players had approach shots separated by about three feet. They both missed eagle opportunities. On the second hole, James missed an 8-foot birdie putt that grazed the right edge. Brown made his 3-foot putt to secure the win. Brown said he had a feeling James' putt would go in, while James noted he had a good line on the ball.
Brown turned professional at age 17 while still a junior in high school. He earned his PGA Tour card this year by finishing in the top 20 in Korn Ferry Tour points. The victory grants him a two-year exemption. This qualifies him for the elite Championship Series when the PGA Tour's new model begins in 2028. It also guarantees him a spot in the PGA Championship next year.
Michael Kim finished one shot behind Brown with a score of 64. Kim made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole just before Brown's winning putt. Denny McCarthy, who had not won in 240 starts over nine years, briefly took the lead with a 30-foot birdie putt. He later hit a double bogey on the 17th hole and finished with a 69.
James now has five top-five finishes and two runner-up finishes in 13 starts since turning pro. Brown cited watching Tiger Woods on television as a child as an inspiration for his career. He described the moment of winning as mind-blowing, comparing it to the major championships he watched as a five-year-old.
