LA QUINTA, Calif. – As the cameras stopped recording and Blades Brown took a deep breath, he finally let his emotions wring out.

Brown had just wrapped a marathon eight days of competitive golf that began last Sunday at the Korn Ferry Tour event in The Bahamas and concluded with a whirlwind four rounds at The American Express. Over those eight rounds, the 18-year-old set a course-record 60 at PGA WEST’s Nicklaus Tournament course, earned the biggest paycheck of his young career, played in a final grouping with Scottie Scheffler and amassed back-to-back top 20s.

All of it was incredible. He said as much, grateful for the experience and thankful to the tournament for the opportunity. Yet as he locked eyes with his agent, Brown’s first words were, “Man, I wanted to play Torrey Pines.”

That, seemingly, was the only thing Brown didn’t accomplish. Had he holed his birdie putt on the 72nd hole Sunday at PGA WEST, he would’ve jumped into the top 10, secured a start at next week’s Farmers Insurance Open and kept the rollercoaster ride going. Instead, he three-putted.

Brown is eager for more, who would blame him? After what he showed last week, it’s likely coming – even if it won’t be next week.

“I could probably write a book (laughing) about what I've learned these past couple of days,” Brown said. “Just knowing that I can compete out here.”

It was a disappointing finish in what was otherwise a momentous week for the teenager. One behind 54-hole leader Si Woo Kim, Brown kept himself within striking distance until his tee shot on the fifth hole found the water. He made double-bogey, dropped well behind the pace and couldn’t catch up. With the closing bogey, Brown finished in a tie for 18th. It’s Brown’s best finish in 10 career TOUR events. His $93,000 payday is nearly $40,000 more than his next best payout.

“I have so much to take away from this week. Getting to play with Scottie Scheffler in the final group at 18 years old is – I had to pinch myself couple of times just to make sure I was, you know, this was real,” Brown said.

Life has come at Brown quickly. He made his first pro start at this tournament a year ago, just a few months after turning down college golf to go pro immediately. He had no status on any tour. Now he’s a full-time member on the Korn Ferry Tour. and a week like this has him believing a TOUR card isn’t far away.

But Sunday was also a reminder of what he still has to learn. In that regard, watching Scheffler is like taking an expert-level course in how to win a golf tournament. Brown marveled at Scheffler’s short game and his ability to close. Both are lessons Brown hopes to take from the week.

For now, Brown will take a bit of (forced) rest from the PGA TOUR. He admitted he was tired after Sunday’s final round, but said it didn’t impact his golf. Still, the last week is a lot for anybody. After Wednesday’s final round of the The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, Brown flew straight to La Quinta and played the The American Express with zero practice rounds.

He opened with a 5-under 67, then shot 12-under 60 in the second round. He cooled off slightly on Saturday, but birdied his final three holes to sneak into the final pairing alongside Scheffler and Si Woo Kim.

“(He) obviously has a lot of talent as well," Scheffler said. “It was fun to see his game today. He definitely has a bright future out here for sure.”

The result further validated Brown’s decision to turn while still high school, instead off following the current trends by playing collegiate golf. Brown finished 68th on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List. He will need to finish in the top 20 this season to earn his TOUR card for 2027.

“Everyone's got their own path and I'm running my race,” Brown said. “But I think that there's a lot of really good junior and amateur talent coming up, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw another amateur make a run.”