THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

January 23, 2026

Blades Brown

PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course

Quick Quotes

Q. What impressed you the most today? What were you most impressed with yourself about today?

BLADES BROWN: I mean, I'm just astounded by the golf courses. Every time I get to play La Quinta Country Club or Nicklaus Course I'm just in breathtaking away from these courses.

Q. We talk a lot about the last putt, what was your line, what line did you choose?

BLADES BROWN: I saw my spot just a little before the hole. I got a great read off David Ford. He dripped it in there and it went right dead center. So I was thinking, okay, maybe just a little outside right edge. Unfortunately, it didn't break, but it's all right. I'm not worried about it.

Q. Why didn't it break?

BLADES BROWN: Gravity? I don't know.

Q. I'm curious, David being lefty, does that affect getting a good read off of him as opposed to being a righty?

BLADES BROWN: I mean, David's an unbelievable player. We went back and forth the entire time. He made birdie on hole 16 and he's like, I finally have the honor today on the golf course. And I was like, Nice. No, David's awesome and I had a lot of fun playing with him.

Q. What did you have for your second on 7?

BLADES BROWN: On 7, I had 217 yards. I hit a 5-iron. I kind of tugged it a little bit left. Then left my chip short. Luckily I was able to get that up-and-down.

Q. You wouldn't have seen this from 217 yards, but it almost looked like it kind of went into a hole. Not a big hole, but, I mean, the lie didn't look great on your first chip.

BLADES BROWN: It was, I think it just missed the, or it was in the dormant grass. I missed my spot a little bit on the chip, but we got that up-and-down so I was really happy.

Q. I didn't see 8. What did you have there?

BLADES BROWN: I hit an 8-iron. I when I got up there it looked like it landed right next to the hole. Then gave another solid stroke on that putt and, yeah.

Q. As many birdies and an eagle that you made, were you conscious of where you were and the 59 number, and at what point did it creep into your head?

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, I mean, we got off to a hot front nine start.

Q. It was okay.

BLADES BROWN: I mean, I'll take that any day of the week. Yeah, it crossed my mind, but I was just focused on the things that I could control, and that was executing the shot I had in the present, so...

Q. Last year on the back nine at Nicklaus you had six in a row. Today you started this way. What is it about that nine that gets your juices going?

BLADES BROWN: I just really like this golf course. There's something about the Nicklaus Course that I just really like. Like, it's so money. It's so pure. Everything is just perfectly well kept. I love playing with no wind. So when you put all those things together it's fun.

Q. It gets a little more difficult tomorrow because you get the Stadium Course. It's always fun for everybody. Does this kind of round push you to maybe a better performance on that?

BLADES BROWN: Absolutely, yeah, yeah. Like I said, tomorrow obviously the Stadium Course is the more difficult of the three golf courses. I haven't played it yet, so I'm just going to go see where I can hit it down the fairway, hit it on the green, and try to make a putt.

Q. I have to ask you this: Last year you said your goal for 2025 was to dunk a basketball.

BLADES BROWN: I am so close. I am so close. I mean, probably with the adrenaline I had on 18, I probably could have done it. But, no, I'm really looking forward to the next two days.

Q. Great playing today. Obviously this tournament's unique, it's a 54-hole cult. Currently tied for the lead with the No. 1 player in the world. Would you like to see that pairing on Sunday, and if so why?

BLADES BROWN: I think that would be awesome, yeah. Scottie is an unbelievable golfer. I'd try to learn from him as much as I can the way he plays the golf course. There's a lot of strategy in his game, and he's obviously an unbelievable ball-striker. So it's really cool watching him play some golf.

Q. And you would like to do that on Sunday, competing alongside him?

BLADES BROWN: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. We're going to see what happens.

Q. Did you find having to control your heart rate a little bit coming down?

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, absolutely, yeah. I mean, when you're playing on the PGA TOUR, like you're going to feel all the emotions. I think it's just about regulating and normalizing the situation. I was able to do that pretty solidly coming down the stretch.

Q. When did you know, at what point during that incredible stretch on the front, that things were working out okay for you today?

BLADES BROWN: Well, I got off to a hot start, and then I just tried to execute shots I could. And then by the time we made the turn I said, Okay, you know, couple birdies here on the front nine, let's see how low we can go. When I stepped onto 18 tee box I knew what was at stake. I knew I needed a birdie to shoot 59, and I was just close this time.

Q. What did you hit on your second, I'm sorry, it was probably a wedge wasn't it?

BLADES BROWN: It was a 50 degree from 132 yards.

Q. I meant number 11.

BLADES BROWN: Oh, yeah, No. 11. My second hole?

Q. Your second hole.

BLADES BROWN: My second hole, I hit a 5-iron from 207 yards.

Q. How far was the putt that was the eagle?

BLADES BROWN: About like 25 feet.

Q. David say anything to you down the stretch?

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, we were just joking around, it felt like I was playing an amateur event. He was one of the guys that I looked up to when I was a, you know, a junior golfer. I mean, he's decorated so well on the amateur side. And he's become a good buddy of mine and we had a lot of fun playing today.

Q. When you get to 12-under through the 6th hole, or 15 whatever that is, was it one of those things where you got a no hitter going, you can't talk to the pitcher?

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, I mean, obviously I have a lot of confidence because I'm executing shots just how I want to, and there's a lot of cool things I could take away from today.

Q. Was there a lot of banter, anything involving that with you and David?

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, David was like, Dang, I finally got the honor on hole 17, took me 17 holes to do that. And I was like, it's all right, we're good.

Q. Lastly, how old do you feel?

BLADES BROWN: I mean, I feel 18. But what I like about golf is the golf ball doesn't care who how old you are. If you're 60 years old or 18 years old, the person that gets the ball in the hole with the least amount of strokes, that's what really matters.

Q. If a young person qualified for the U.S. Open or got an exemption into a PGA TOUR event. What age would make you say, Man, that guy's young?

BLADES BROWN: I think it's hard to say because, shoot, a 10 year old. I mean, I don't know.

Q. Could happen.

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, I just think that it's cool that the golf ball doesn't know how old you are and, yeah.

Q. You had a pretty big gallery there at the end. Is having a big audience like that, is that something that maybe makes you a little nervous, do you thrive with that, and what are you hoping for moving forward?

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, absolutely. When people come and watch you, like you're going to notice that they're there. It's nice. I see it as an opportunity to focus. Because a lot of people watching you, and you got to try your best to not let that affect you. I like it because I can kind of feed off it. What I really like about it though is if you hit it close you get a massive clap. So if you think you flagged it and the all of a sudden you get no claps, you know it's probably not close. But, yeah, I'm just going to focus on executing the shots that I can control and yeah, have some fun in the process.

Q. A wonderful day on the golf course. I got to start with the putt at 9. You had a good read from your playing partner. Take us through that putt that would have gotten you a 59.

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, I stroked it on the line that I wanted to put on it. And I may have made it in my mind, but the putt did not go in, but I made it in my mind, so really happy about it.

Q. 8-under to start the round from through 7. Did that 59 flash in your head as you made your way around the course?

BLADES BROWN: There was a little bit. These golf courses are so money. I just came from Abaco and it was blowing 30 and the greens were probably 10. And then here it's 13 and perfect. So when the golf courses are great and there's no wind, golf's really a lot of fun.

Q. What was the key from yesterday 5-under to today in your game?

BLADES BROWN: I just think just executing the shots that I know I can. It's really easy to get, I guess, distracted by just some of the things that are going on. I love to play golf, so I just thought, Okay, just going to stick to my game plan and execute the shots I know I can, and let the rest happen on its own.

Q. This is surreal, I would guess. Have you had time to just sit down and relax for a few minutes since you came over from the Korn Ferry Tour?

BLADES BROWN: I'm going to go take a nap after this, and probably get some food.