Eighteen-year-old Blades Brown fired a course-record 12-under 60 in the second round of the 2026 American Express, tying world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for the lead at 17 under par. Brown narrowly missed a birdie putt for a historic 59 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West. The Tennessee native arrived from a Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas, marking his 10th PGA Tour start.
The 2026 American Express continued its second round on Friday in La Quinta, California, where teenager Blades Brown delivered a stunning performance. Starting on the back nine of the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Brown eagled the par-5 11th and birdied the next five holes to reach 8 under through seven. He added four more birdies on the front nine, reaching 12 under before parring the final three holes.
Brown's 60 tied the course record but fell just short of a 59 when his 6- to 8-foot birdie putt on the ninth grazed the right edge. "I'm so stoked to have shot 60 on the PGA Tour," Brown said afterward. "The putt didn’t drop on hole No. 9 but it’s the lowest round on the PGA Tour for me, and lots and lots of positives."
This marked the youngest 60 or better in PGA Tour history, surpassing Patrick Cantlay's feat at age 19 in 2011. Brown also became the youngest to lead or co-lead after a round since Ty Tryon at 17 in 2001. He tied Scheffler, who shot a bogey-free 64 earlier, for his first 36-hole lead of the season.
Brown's whirlwind week began with a T-17 finish at the Korn Ferry Tour's Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on Wednesday. He flew private to California, arriving late Wednesday, and opened with a 5-under 67 on Thursday. "These golf courses are so money," Brown said. "I just came from Abaco and it was blowing 30... here it's 13 and perfect."
Si Woo Kim sits third at 16 under after a 65 on the tougher Stadium Course. The tournament, played across three courses, has no 36-hole cut, but a 54-hole cut follows Saturday's round. Scheffler and Brown tee off third-round pairings on the Stadium Course, setting up a compelling weekend matchup.
Rickie Fowler praised the young star: "Soak it up, have fun. It goes by pretty quickly." Brown plans to rest before his seventh straight competitive round on Saturday.
