17-year-old Blades Brown turning pro, won't play college golf

High school junior Blades Brown, the top-ranked golfer in the Class of 2026, announced Tuesday that he's turning pro.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Brown said he won't play college golf and will make his PGA Tour debut at The American Express at La Quinta, Calif., in January.

"I am ready to begin the next chapter of my golf career and will be competing as a professional in 2025," he wrote.

"This is not a decision that I take lightly, and I have spent the past months weighing all possible options before deciding on what I know is best for me. While I am proud of the accomplishments of my amateur career, I am focused on the future and getting off to a strong start in my professional career."

Brown, from Nashville, joined Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett last summer as the only players to win a medal in both U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior competitions.

In 2023, Brown became the youngest medalist in a U.S. Amateur and the youngest since 18-year-old Bobby Jones did so in 1920.

Brown played in one PGA Tour event under a sponsor exemption this year, finishing 10-under par and tied for 26th in the Myrtle Beach Classic in May.

This fall, he failed to make it out of PGA Tour qualifying school but already has a number of sponsor exemptions in hand for 2025, Yahoo Sports reported.

In July, The Tennessean reported that Brown no longer would be attending Brentwood Academy and would take online courses to fit around his golf schedule.

--Field Level Media