Blades Brown previews Korn Ferry Tour event in Franklin
Pro golfer Blades Brown from Nashville speaks at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin prior to the course’s 2025 Korn Ferry Tour event.
- Blades Brown, 18, has secured full Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2026 season.
- He guaranteed his status by securing a top-75 finish on this season’s points list.
- Brown made 8 of 13 cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, with two top-5 finishes.
Blades Brown’s splash into professional golf this past year didn’t immediately result in a PGA Tour card, but the former Brentwood Academy star is off to a good start in chasing that goal.
Brown, now 18 after turning professional at 17, received full Korn Ferry Tour status for 2026 for guaranteeing himself a top-75 finish on the points list this season. He’s No. 75 going into the Oct. 9-12 Korn Ferry Tour Championship at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana.
Brown played his rookie season with temporary status on the Korn Ferry Tour, a primary pathway to the PGA Tour where a top-20 finish on the points list gives players full-time PGA status.
Brown would likely have to win in Indiana this week to have any chance at cracking the top 20, and even then, it might be mathematically impossible. Qualifying School is another route that Brown could choose later this year to pursue PGA Tour status.
Either way, Brown’s performance on the Korn Ferry Tour as a rookie keeps him on track to play a full professional schedule in 2026.
How Blades Brown secured Korn Ferry Tour status for 2026
Let’s start with the recent fireworks.
Brown opened last week’s Compliance Solutions Championship in Owasso, Oklahoma — part of the Korn Ferry Tour finals — with rounds of 66 and 60. His 60 was a career-best. He finished 15-under 269 to tie for 43rd, securing his top-75 spot on the points list.
Overall, Brown made 8-of-13 cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, earning $118,562, two top-5 finishes and a top-10.
He was runner-up at the Veritex Bank Championship in April, shooting a 27-under 257 total.
Unrelated to his Korn Ferry status, Brown has made 2-of-6 cuts this season in PGA Tour events where he received sponsor exemptions, earning $52,559. His best finish was t-34 at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld in February, when he shot 9-under 275.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at [email protected] and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also helps write The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
Read the full article here