LA QUINTA, CA — All the talk of playing in the Bahamas and private flights across the country and late-night fast-food runs faded under the brilliance of a Southern California day and the talent of Blades Brown on Friday, Jan. 23.
Brown, who made his professional debut at 17 years old last year at The American Express, fired a 12-under 60 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West in the second round of the PGA Tour event at the La Quinta Country Club. It was the lowest round in the PGA Tour by an 18-year-old since 1983.
Brown, seeking an historic 59, parred the final three holes including a 7-foot putt on his final hole that rolled agonizingly wide right.
‘I saw my spot just a little before the hole. I got a great read off David Ford,’ Brown said of his final putt for 59. ‘He dripped it in there and it went right dead center. So I was thinking, okay, maybe just a little outside right edge. Unfortunately, it didn’t break, but it’s all right. I’m not worried about it.’
As he watched his putt sail right, Brown looked to the heavens in disappointment as a large gallery groaned, obviously aware of the moment and wanting to be a part of history. But the smile returned to his face moments later after tapping in his par, for a course record and stamping himself as a rising star in the sport.
LEADERBOARD: Full results from The American Express
‘I just really like this golf course. There’s something about the Nicklaus Course that I just really like,’ said Brown, who shot 64 on the course in 2025 including a run of six consecutive birdies. ‘Like, it’s so money. It’s so pure. Everything is just perfectly well-kempt. I love playing with no wind. So when you put all those things together it’s fun.’
He was bidding for the 16th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history and the third ever shot at the desert’s PGA event.
Brown, a member of the Korn Ferry Tour and in the field this week on a sponsor’s exemption, shares the 36-hole lead in the tournament at 17-under, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler, playing four groups ahead of Brown, fired a 64 on the Nicklaus course. Si Woo Kim fired a 65 on the Pete Dye Stadium Course, the toughest of the three courses in the rotation, and is alone in third at 16 under.
Brown wasn’t the only player to make it to the 18th hole with a shot at a 59 on Friday. Andrew Putnam, playing at La Quinta Country Club, had a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, but missed and had to settle for a fantastic 12-under 60 to tie the course record.
Brown began his day on the 10th hole at the Nicklaus course and birdied the first hole, followed by an eagle on the par-5 11th. Brown then made five consecutive birdies to reach 8 under through seven holes before making three consecutive pars.
But starting on the second hole on the front nine (his back), Brown regained his torrid scoring touch, with four birdies in his next five holes to get to 12 under for the day. He managed just a par on the par-5 seventh hole, then missed makeable birdie putts on the eighth and ninth hole which would’ve given him a magical 59.
Brown or Putnam would’ve been the third golfer shoot 59 at The American Express. David Duval shot the number in the final round of the 1999 tournament on the Palmer Course at PGA West to win the tournament. Adam Hadwin shot 59 in the third round of the 2017 event at La Quinta Country Club, but Hadwin ended up second that week behind Hudson Swafford.
Brown’s fantastic round comes just two days after he finish play in the Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas, where Brown finished tied for 17th. Brown took a private jet for six hours to get to the Southern California desert late Wednesday night, hit fast-foot restaurant Panda Express, went to a grocery store and then went to sleep before his 9:58 a.m. tee time Thursday. Brown shot 5-under 67 at La Quinta Country Club to open the event.
Putnam’s round at La Quinta Country Clubs starter slower than Brown’s with just one birdie in his first three holes. But Putnam, 36 and with one PGA Tour victory, rattled off six consecutive birdies and capped that run with an eagle on the par-5 11th to get to 9-under for the day. He added two birdies at 13 and 14 and another at 17 to reach 12 under before making the long two-putt for a par on the 18th hole.
The 60 moved Putnam to 12 under for the tournament, tied for 18th in a week where low scoring seems to be at a record pace. The two 60s even overshadowed Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world who cruised to a 64 for his second consecutive bogey-free round in his first tournament of the year. One of the players to have shot 59 in an event back in 2020, Scheffler said he wouldn’t have been too surprised had the day produced two 59s.
‘The courses are in good shape, you’ve got good weather conditions, I think that’s a recipe for some low scores when you got guys with the amount of talent that we have out here on tour,’ Scheffler said. ‘I think when you get those two things together you’re going to see some low scores.’
Both Scheffler and Brown will move to the Stadium Course for the third round Saturday. Brown was in contention to make the cut in the 2025 American Express but a third-round 74 on the Stadium Course moved him outside of the cut line in his pro debut.
‘(Saturday) obviously the Stadium Course is the more difficult of the three golf courses,’ Brown said. ‘I haven’t played it yet (this year), so I’m just going to go see where I can hit it down the fairway, hit it on the green, and try to make a putt.’
The idea of a Sunday final group including Scheffler and Brown is tantalizing. Scheffler says he only knows a little bit of Brown’s story and does not know Brown personally.
‘These kids coming out, they know they got to come out and make some birdies. I think when you’re coming out young you don’t have as much scar tissue as the guys that are a little bit more seasoned, and you just come out, and if you want to make a name for yourself you got to put up some good scores,’ Scheffler said. ‘It sounds like an 18-year-old shooting 59 is a pretty good start to his career there.’
Brown said he’d love the chance to play with the world’s No. 1.
‘I think that would be awesome, yeah. Scottie is an unbelievable golfer,’ Brown said. ‘I’d try to learn from him as much as I can the way he plays the golf course. There’s a lot of strategy in his game, and he’s obviously an unbelievable ball-striker. So it’s really cool watching him play some golf.’
The 15 sub-60 rounds in PGA history
- Jake Knapp (59): 2025 Cognizant Classic (Round 1)
- Hayden Springs (59): 2024 John Deere Classic (Round 1)
- Cameron Young (59): 2024 Travelers Championship (Round 3)
- Scottie Scheffler (59): 2020 The Northern Trust (Round 2)
- Kevin Chappell (59): 2019 Military Tribute at the Greenbrier (Round 2)
- Brandt Snedeker (59): 2018 Wyndam Championship (Round 1)
- Adam Hadwin (59): 2017 Career Builder Challenge (Round 3)
- Justin Thomas (59): 2017 Sony Open (Round 1)
- Jim Furyk (58): 2016 Travelers Championship (Round 2)
- Jim Furyk (59): 2013 BMW Championship (Round 2)
- Stuart Appleby (59): 2010 Greenbrier Classic (Round 4)
- Paul Goydos (59): 2010 John Deere Classic (Round 1)
- David Duval (59): 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (Round 4)
- Chip Beck (59): 1991 Las Vegas Invitational (Round 3)
- Al Geiberger (59): 1977 Memphis Classic (Round 2)