Blades Brown joins Tiger Woods in USGA history after winning U.S. Junior medalist honors

It has been a week for Blades Brown at the U.S. Junior Amateur, and it’s only Wednesday.

Brown, a 17-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, shot 2-under 68 on Tuesday on the difficult South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to earn medalist honors at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur. Shortly after, Brown got to meet Tiger Woods, who was on property to watch his son, Charlie, competing in his first USGA Championship.

For Blades, he joined Woods in an exclusive USGA club. Brown became the third person to win medalist honors at a U.S. Amateur and U.S Junior, joining Woods and Bobby Clampett. Brown won low am honors last summer at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado in the U.S. Amateur when he was 16.

“It gives me so much momentum and fuel and confidence,” Brown said. “But in match play anything can happen. I’m looking forward to it.”

Photos: Charlie Woods at the U.S. Junior Amateur

Brown will face Alex Huang on Wednesday morning, who advanced out of a 13-for-9 playoff for the final spots in match play. The top 64 seeds advanced from stroke play.

Also among those advancing to match play is Alabama signee Chase Kyes, who has Jeff Curl as his caddie. Curl was the caddie for Nick Dunlap at both his 2021 U.S. Junior win and last summer at the U.S. Amateur.

Five of the seven members of the USGA’s inaugural U.S. National Junior Team in the field also advanced to match play. Joining Brown were Tyler Watts, Henry Guan, Michael Riebe and Miles Russell, the No. 1 junior in the American Junior Golf Association rankings.