Blades Brown has turned the PGA Tour upside down with a final day that will go down in the history books, crowning himself the youngest winner since 1931. The golfer from Tennessee triumphs at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico – at a phenomenal 19 years and 171 days old. Charles Kocsis remains unrivaled, having won the Michigan Open in 1931 at just 18 years old, holding the absolute record. But Brown is now the fourth-youngest Tour winner, and indeed the youngest on the PGA Tour in what feels like an eternity.
Emotions ran high as Brown roared into the microphone after the finish: "This is just crazy! It hasn't quite sunk in yet what it means to be a PGA Tour winner." He recalled little Blades, sitting wide-eyed in front of the TV at age five, watching Tiger Woods and others win major after major. "To now be in a similar position myself, having won a PGA Tour tournament – unbelievable!" said Brown. A pure goosebump moment!
Yet, on the final day, it initially looked like a true comeback story. Brown teed off with a hefty seven-shot deficit. But what unfolded next in Cabo San Lucas was an absolute golf masterclass: Ten birdies! He conjured the lowest round of the day, forced 23-year-old Ben James into a playoff, and sealed the deal on the second extra hole. Truly impressive!
With that, Brown effortlessly shatters the record of Jordan Spieth, who rocked the Tour as a youngster at 19 years and eleven months at the John Deere Classic in 2013. Brown is now the freshest champion of the modern PGA Tour era. Game on!
The youngster, who was still attending high school two years ago and only graduated this January, is now at the very top. College? Not a chance! He went all-in on golf – and it's paying off! His reward: nearly $1.1 million in prize money and a Tour card for two full years. And as if that weren't enough: next year he'll be teeing it up at the PGA Championship. A Major! A dream come true.
Meanwhile, our sole German starter, Stephan Jäger, finished in a solid 25th place. That's also very strong in such a field!
