5H AGO
Back-to-back eagles, 10-under 61 carries Blades Brown to 36-hole lead at Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by Virginia's Richmond Region
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Blades Brown makes birdie on No. 18 at Korn Ferry Tour Champ
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Written by Staff
Charting the leader (stats entering week)
| Category | Blades Brown |
| Age | 19 |
| 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List | No. 14 |
| Starts – Wins – Top 10s on Korn Ferry Tour in 2026 | 17-0-5 |
| Starts – Wins – Top 10s in Korn Ferry Tour Career | 31-0-7 |
| Starts – Wins – Top 10s at Korn Ferry Tour Championship | 1-0-0 |
Blades Brown (first/-13)
- Carded back-to-back eagles at the par-5 ninth and 10th, birdies the final five holes en route to 10-under 61
- Holds his second 36-hole lead/co-lead in what is his 32nd career start on the Korn Ferry Tour (previous: 2026 Colonial Life Charity Classic/finished T16)
- At 18 years, 11 months, 24 days of age, became the second-youngest 36-hole leader/co-leader in Korn Ferry Tour history at the 2026 Colonial Life Charity Classic
- At 19 years, 4 months, 18 days of age on Friday, becomes the third-youngest 36-hole leader/co-leader in Korn Ferry Tour Championship history
- Stands No. 14 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and is the highest-ranked player yet to be declared TourBound
- Bidding to become the youngest graduate in Korn Ferry Tour history (current: Jason Day, 19 years, 11 months, 23 days in 2007)
- Holds Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour and owns seven top-25 finishes in 11 starts on Tour this season, highlighted by a solo third at the 2026 Puerto Rico Open
- Previously earned Special Temporary Membership and finished No. 68 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List
- Recorded a T2 finish as a 17-year-old professional at the 2025 Veritex Bank Championship, the highest finish by a player under the age of 18 in Korn Ferry Tour history, usurping 17-year-old Si Woo Kim's T11 finish at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Championship
- Named the 2024 AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year and turned professional on Dec. 17, 2024, at 17 years of age
Additional notes
- Ross Steelman (T24/-5) is the only player who can pass Sandy Scott (T44/-1) for the No. 1 position on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List; he is currently projected to finish No. 1.
- While the top 20 players on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List earn PGA Tour membership, the No. 1 player also earns exemptions for the 2027 Players Championship and 2027 U.S. Open.
- Austin Hitt (T2/-12), who stands No. 22 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and is seeking his first PGA Tour card, matched his season-high 36-hole position (Visit Knoxville Open/finished T23).
- Barend Botha (T2/-12), who stands No. 38 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, needs a minimum finish of solo second to potentially move into the top 20 of the standings and earn his first PGA Tour card; he finished solo second at the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by Virginia’s Richmond Region, where a victory would have earned him PGA Tour membership for 2026.
- Ian Holt (T2/-12), the 18-hole leader, is bidding to achieve the Three-Victory Promotion, which would grant him an immediate promotion to the PGA Tour and eligibility for the remaining 2026 FedExCup Fall events; the last player to achieve the Three-Victory Promotion was Matt McCarty (2024).
- Two players are currently projected to move into the top 20.
- Yuta Sugiura (T24/-5): started No. 21, projected No. 20
- Austin Hitt (T2/-12): started No. 22, projected No. 14
- Two players are currently projected to fall out of the top 20.
- Ben Kohles (not in field): started No. 19, projected No. 22
- Cole Hammer (T33/-3): started No. 20, projected No. 21
