Blades Brown Ties Scottie Scheffler With Course-Record 60 At The American Express

Eighteen-year-old Blades Brown matched world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for the halfway lead at The American Express after carding a bogey-free, course-record 12-under 60 in Friday’s second round in La Quinta, California, capping a rapid turnaround from a Korn Ferry Tour start in The Bahamas earlier in the week.

Brown’s Cross-Country Sprint

Brown began his week at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he finished tied for 17th on Wednesday. Within hours of completing his final round, he boarded a private jet using flight hours earned at last season’s ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic to travel roughly 2,423 miles from The Bahamas to La Quinta, California.

The teenager arrived in time for a full night’s rest before turning his focus to The American Express on the PGA TOUR. Brown described drawing on his youthful energy and enthusiasm for competing at the highest level as he transitioned from one tour to another in less than a day.

Record Round In La Quinta

On Friday, Brown produced a standout performance with a 12-under 60, setting a new course record and moving to 17-under for the tournament through 36 holes. His round came within a shot of golf’s celebrated 59 mark, as he narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie attempt on his final hole.

The score elevated Brown into a tie for the lead at The American Express after two rounds and underscored the confidence he has carried from his recent Korn Ferry Tour start into a high-profile PGA TOUR event.

Scheffler Shares The Lead

Brown’s 60 gave him a share of the top spot with Scheffler, who continued his dominant form with an 8-under 64 on Friday to also reach 17-under. Scheffler is coming off a record-tying fourth consecutive PGA TOUR Player of the Year campaign in 2025 and has shown no signs of slowing as the 2026 season begins.

Scheffler had been slated to start his 2025 season at The American Express but was delayed after an off-course injury. This year, he has opened strongly and now finds himself at the center of a compelling weekend storyline, sharing the lead with an 18-year-old making one of the most notable early-season charges.

Asked about Brown’s performance, Scheffler acknowledged hearing that the teenager had competed on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier in the week. Upon learning that Brown had indeed played in The Bahamas, Scheffler smiled and remarked that his young rival was clearly "in form," highlighting the respect Brown’s play has already earned among established stars.

Packed Leaderboard

Heading into the weekend, Brown and Scheffler hold a one-shot advantage over Si Woo Kim at 16-under. S.H. Kim and Matt McCarty are two strokes back at 15-under, while a larger chasing pack, including players such as Rickie Fowler, Nico Echavarria, Nick Taylor and Eric Cole, remains closely grouped on a low-scoring layout.

With two golfers at 17-under and nine more within three shots of the lead, nearly 20 players remain realistically in contention. Scoring has been sufficiently low that even an 18-year-old flirting with 59 has not been enough to separate him decisively from the field.

Fans can follow the full scoring spread and position changes throughout the weekend via the event’s leaderboard. Full leaderboard coverage will track the progress of Brown, Scheffler and the chasing contenders in La Quinta.

Brown’s Two-Tour Week

Brown’s schedule this week has spanned two tours and two countries within roughly 24 hours. After wrapping up his Korn Ferry Tour appearance in The Bahamas on Wednesday, he quickly shifted to PGA TOUR competition in California, where his immediate impact has drawn significant attention.

The teenager has described the opportunity to compete in both a Korn Ferry Tour event and a PGA TOUR stop in the same week as a realization of his ambitions in professional golf. His ability to handle the travel demands and then produce a career-best score has added to the significance of his early-season breakthrough.

Justin Thomas Targets Return

Away from La Quinta, Justin Thomas has indicated that he is planning his return to competition during the upcoming Florida Swing after undergoing a microdiscectomy 10 weeks ago. The 16-time PGA TOUR winner said his recovery has progressed well and shared optimism about his timetable on the social media platform X.

Thomas’ anticipated comeback would add another high-profile presence to the early portion of the season, with the Florida events traditionally forming a key stretch ahead of the spring’s major championships.

Broadcast And Coverage

Television coverage of The American Express is scheduled on GOLF Channel from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern on both Saturday and Sunday, with additional live coverage streaming on ESPN+ from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern each day.

Radio listeners can follow the action on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, channel 92. PGA TOUR Radio coverage is complimentary within the PGA TOUR app, while PGA TOUR LIVE and SiriusXM radio require subscriptions for full access to featured groups and extended audio programming.

App Features And Fan Tools

The PGA TOUR app has introduced a Favorite Player Hub designed as a centralized location for fans to follow players they select as favorites. Located on the YourTOUR page within the app, the hub aggregates highlights, scores and updates for easier tracking during tournaments.

Users can add a favorite player to begin using the hub, which becomes available with version 2026.1.1 of the app. The feature is intended to streamline how fans monitor specific players across rounds and events.

By ML. Photo(s)/PGA TOUR