Blades Brown was standing near the podium of The American Express golf tournament’s media center on Tuesday, happily chatting after pulling off a bright and engaging press conference ahead of his first PGA Tour start as a professional on Thursday.

Everything to know about former Brentwood Academy golf star Blades Brown, 17, making his pro golf debut at the PGA Tour American Express Tournament.

Blades Brown, 17, is making his professional debut at the American Express and knows there will be “hills and valleys” in his young career.

Brown, 17, will make his pro debut this week at The American Express in Palm Springs, where Dunlap won as an amateur a year ago.

While younger players and amateurs have been playing strong golf on the PGA Tour in recent years – Dunlap was 20 and a sophomore at the University of Alabama when he won last year – Brown is the youngest golfer to ever play in The American Express. But his swing coach believes Brown has a game that can hold up to the PGA Tour.

The 17-year-old Brown is one of the most intriguing stories at the first event in the mainland United States of 2025. The son of former WNBA player Rhonda Brown, whose maiden name is "Blades," Blades Brown took up golf at eight years old while playing with his father at Richland Country Club in Nashville.

Turning professional at 17 is complex and not always the right decision. For Blades Brown, not a bad name for a professional golfer by the way, the decision came down to getting to play on the PGA Tour immediately.

A look at Blades Brown, 17, former Brentwood Academy golfer turning pro at 2025 PGA Tour American Express Tournament

A high school junior from Nashville, Tennessee will be making his pro golf debut at the first signature event of the season on Thursday. Blades Brown will join the PGA Tour after turning pro in December and will play in his first tournament at La Quinta.