19-year-old Blades Brown becomes youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years
Birdies 2nd playoff hole to win World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico
Blades Brown became the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years Sunday when the 19-year-old rallied from a seven-shot deficit with a 9-under 63 and beat Ben James with a birdie on the second playoff hole in the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico.
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old → become → Cabos
Brown became the youngest winner since Charles Kocsis won the Michigan Open in 1931 when he was 18, a tournament that was considered a regional event in the early years of the PGA.
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that → become → PGA
James lost a four-shot lead going into the final round at El Cardonal at Diamante and then showed his moxie by smoking a 285-yard shot into 20 feet on the par-5 18th and making eagle to salvage a 70 and force the playoff.
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James → lose → playoff
But he missed an 8-foot putt on the second playoff hole, and Brown made his 3-footer.
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Brown → miss → footer
It tests you in so many ways," said Brown, who graduated high school in January.
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who → test → January
"I love golf, all the stuff that goes into it and I can't wait for what's next."
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what → love → it
Brown make a surprising choice to turn pro two years ago while a junior in high school.
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Brown → make → school
Brown was tested even more by going through two bags of golf balls on the range waiting to see if the two-shot lead he had over James would hold, and then going back out to the 18th to decide it.
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he → test → it
On the first extra hole, their approach shots were side-by-side, separated by about 3 feet, and both narrowly missed eagle chances.
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both → separate → chances
They returned to the 18th tee and their drives were next to each other.
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drives → return → other
Both came up just short of the green.
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Both → come → green
James nearly holed his pitch and saw it run out 8 feet.
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it → hole → feet
Brown, who had a similar pitch in regulation that he hit to 6 feet for a closing birdie, this time came up 3 feet short.
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he → have → birdie
James' birdie putt grazed the right edge, and Brown poured in the winner.
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Brown → graze → winner
They have known each since their junior days and Brown figures this is the start.
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this → know → days
"I got him this time, but I'm sure we'll be battling it out for years to come," he said.
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he → get → years
With eight players separated by two shots on the back nine, Brown ran off three straight birdies to share the lead and then left the mistakes to everyone else.
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Brown → separate → everyone
He hit a superb pitch for birdie on the final hole to post at 23-under 265.
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He → hit → under
That put him one shot ahead of Michael Kim, who played with the Tennessee teen and made birdie from 12 feet for 64 right before Brown made his putt.
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Brown → put → putt
Brown earned his PGA Tour card for 2027 by finishing among the top 20 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list.
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Brown → earn → list
Now he has a two-year exemption, which puts him in the elite Championship Series when the PGA Tour's new model begins in 2028.
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model → have → 2028
The victory also assures Brown of his first major next year at the PGA Championship.
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victory → assure → Championship
It was another setback for James, who in 13 starts since turning pro has five finishes in the top five, and two runner-up finishes.
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who → turn → top
Denny McCarthy, winless in nine years in 240 starts on the PGA Tour, made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole to take the lead.
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McCarthy → make → lead
But he hit a pedestrian pitch to the par-5 14th and had to settle for par.
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he → hit → par
With a wedge in hand from the 15th fairway, he came up some 40 feet short and three-putted for a bogey.
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he → come → bogey
McCarthy's tee shot on the 17th was right of the 18th tee box, he put his next shot off a dirt path into a hazard and made double bogey.
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he → put → bogey
He shot 69.
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He → shoot → 69
Sudarshan Yellamaraju was the top Canadian, finishing tied for 12th at 17 under.
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Yellamaraju → finish → under
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