LA QUINTA, Calif — A chaotic week for 18-year-old Blades Brown was an inch away from a most spectacular spotlight Friday, when he narrowly missed a 6-foot birdie putt for 59, leaving him tied for the lead in The American Express with Scottie Scheffler.
Brown, who turned professional final 12 months and is weeks faraway from graduating highschool, wanted just one birdie over the ultimate three holes on the Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA West, the best of three programs within the rotation in supreme climate.
He hit a niche wedge just proper of the pin on his final gap, the par-4 ninth. He had the benefit of seeing David Ford go first on the identical line. He picked his spot, rolled the putt and it stayed proper, grazing the sting because the gallery groaned.
Editor’s Picks
No matter.
“I’m so stoked,” he mentioned, together with needing what he known as a “fat nap.”
Brown earned Korn Ferry Tour standing final 12 months and was within the Bahamas for a event that did not finish till Wednesday. He used a flight voucher he earned from a top-50 end within the Myrtle Beach Classic final 12 months to fly non-public to Palm Springs, arriving at his resort about 8 p.m. on the eve of The American Express, the place he’s taking part in on a sponsor exemption.
And now he goes into the weekend tied with golf’s finest participant.
“We’re going to see what happens,” Brown mentioned.
Scheffler wasn’t fairly as sharp as he was within the opening spherical and nonetheless managed a bogey-free 64, taking part in in entrance of the biggest gallery and two teams forward of Brown.
Scheffler has began on the 2 best programs — he faces the Stadium Course on Saturday — and was solely 2 beneath by eight holes. That looks like dropping floor. But then he knocked in a birdie at No. 18, made the flip and birdied two of the following three, after which ran off three straight birdies late within the spherical.
“I didn’t get off to the start I would have hoped to get off to today,” Scheffler mentioned. “Outside of that, I did a really good job on the back nine of staying patient and didn’t really try to force things out there. I made a good birdie on my ninth hole today, which was 18, and made some nice birdies on that back nine.
“We’re midway carried out, however I put myself in good place after two days with two stable rounds, and just trying ahead to hopefully placing up one other stable spherical tomorrow, after which we’ll see the place we’re at going into Sunday.”
What typically is a casual tournament in the Coachella Valley, set among desert mountains, palm trees and emerald green fairways, was a sellout Friday.
Scheffler is a big draw in the strongest field in years. And now, there’s a teenager who was one putt from becoming the youngest player in PGA Tour history to break 60.
Brown got attention quickly when he was 8 under through seven holes — six birdies and a 25-foot eagle putt on No. 11 after starting on the back nine.
“And then, by the point we made the flip, I mentioned, ‘OK, couple birdies right here on the entrance 9, let’s have a look at how low we will go.’ When I stepped onto 18 tee field, I knew what was at stake. I knew I wanted a birdie to shoot 59, and I used to be just shut this time.”
Blades Brown reacts after missing a birdie putt on the ninth hole during the second round of The American Express at Nicklaus Tournament Course on Friday. Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Brown wasn’t alone. As he was teeing off on his final hole at the Nicklaus course with a shot at 59, Andrew Putnam was on the 18th hole at La Quinta, needing birdie to break 60.
Both made par. And the tournament is half over, with thoughts now turning to a weekend that features Scheffler, looming as large as ever, atop the leaderboard with a teenager, both at 17-under 127.
Scheffler doesn’t know much about Brown except that he turned pro while still in high school. Scheffler also heard that Brown was in the Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas (Brown tied for 17th) without realizing it didn’t end until Wednesday, and he flew straight to PGA West.
“So he is in type,” Scheffler said with a smile.
“These youngsters popping out, they know they obtained to come back out and make some birdies,” Scheffler said. “I believe once you’re popping out younger, you do not have as a lot scar tissue as the fellows which might be somewhat bit extra seasoned, and also you just come out, and if you wish to make a reputation for your self, you bought to place up some good scores.
“It sounds like an 18-year-old shooting 59 is a pretty good start to his career there.”
This was earlier than Brown missed his quick birdie putt on the ultimate gap, however the level stands. It was a formidable spherical of golf for anybody, a lot much less an 18-year-old.
Si Woo Kim, a previous champion right here, shot 65 on the harder Stadium Course and was one shot behind, and lots extra gamers have been lined up behind him.
Eleven gamers have been separated by three photographs on the midway level, a gaggle that included Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark, each three behind. The lower shouldn’t be made till Saturday, after everybody has performed all three programs.
