High school junior Blades Brown becomes pro golfer at 17

By The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A junior in high school is ready to join the professional golf ranks. Blades Brown says he’s turning pro next month. He’s been given a sponsor exemption to The American Express in January on the PGA Tour. The 17-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, made the cut in an opposite-field Myrtle Beach Classic in May. Brown also became the youngest player to lead 36-hole qualifying in the U.S. Amateur last year before being eliminated after one round. Teens turning pro is nothing new. Akshay Bhatia also turned pro at age 17 in 2019 and finally reached the PGA Tour four years later when he won an opposite-field event.