Q&A: What KFT really taught Blades Brown; Monopoly, breakfast hacks and clapping for Scottie

After earning his PGA Tour card, Blades Brown was rewarded like any 19-year-old would be: his mom bought him a giant cookie cake.

Brown had no regrets scarfing down nearly all of the dessert; after all, he's amassed nearly 20 top-20s between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours this year, four of those results being second or third, while racking up over $1.5 million in on-course earnings. That surely eclipsed whatever Brown would've been making via NIL deals had he decided to attend college. Brown turned pro at the start of 2025, though he'd just now be a college freshman.

Brown's year isn't done either, as the special temporary member on the PGA Tour has as many as four starts remaining this fall, plenty of opportunity to crack the top 50 in the world rankings by year's end and earn a Masters berth. He's currently No. 94.

Big things are undoubtedly ahead for the happy-go-lucky Brown, who took about a half hour during his couple of weeks off to chat with Golf Channel. Before the interview commenced, Brown was eager to note that it was noticeably cold at home in Nashville – a chilly 60 degrees. This interviewer had to brag that it was 70 degrees where he was located; about the only disappointment for the rising superstar this year.

Here is the full conversation, which has been slightly edited for clarity and length:

BRENTLEY ROMINE: Blades, it's been not even two weeks since you officially locked things up at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. I'm interested, how did you celebrate? And two, we always hear guys say like, there's one thing I reward myself with after a big accomplishment. Maybe it's a purchase, maybe it's anything. Did you have anything that you rewarded yourself with?

BLADES BROWN: That's a phenomenal question. So it's still starting to set in now that I'm gonna be a PGA Tour professional for the 2027 season, and I was putting all the tournaments into my calendar, and it was just firing me up. I mean, I color coded everything. I got green events for PGA Tour, regular events, and then signature events I put in red, and majors. So now, I'm just getting fired up.

So, my mom, whenever we came home, she surprised me with a massive cookie cake that said, Blades Brown is Tour bound. And I've eaten about 85% of that thing. So, my treat is gonna be I'm about 5 pounds heavier since we did that.

BRENTLEY: How long do those cookie cakes last? What’s the statute of limitations before you got to throw it away?

BLADES: It's about three days. You gotta eat about 20,000 calories in about three days, so…

BRENTLEY: Did I hear correctly that you've already mapped out your 2027 schedule and color coded everything?

BLADES: Oh yeah, oh yeah.

BRENTLEY: I mean, you've been that way your whole life. Where do you get that from, your mom, or your dad, or both of them?

BLADES: I just really love having a vision of what's gonna be in the future, and I think that's just come along with time. I wasn't that way in high school. I mean, I was the type of guy to study at the last minute, you know, kind of cram everything in, and now that golf is essentially my job, I've kind of tried to take things more professionally and get an idea of what tournament I'm playing in. It hit me the other day. I was in the airport, and I didn't even know what airport I was in. Just cause we're on the road so much, and so I'm trying to get a better handle of the travel and what tournaments we're playing in, and yeah, it's awesome.

BRENTLEY: What airport were you in?

BLADES: Great question. I don't know.

BRENTLEY: I mean, look, you split your time this year between both tours, PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour; success on both of them; I think, maybe 18 total top-20s, evenly split, too, but we always hear guys talk about how different the two tours are. Like Korn Ferry, when it used to be Web.com, they called it the Wedge.com. It’s a lot of birdies. You gotta go really low, and then on the PGA Tour, there are some birdie fests, but there's some more difficult setups, too. What is the biggest difference setup-wise and test-wise between those two tours now that you've played a ton on both?

BLADES: “I think Korn Ferry for me just unlocked another level of scoring that that that I didn't know I had. I know that the top players in the world like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, they know how to go low, and if the tournament conditions present themselves, you know, they're knocking off five or six birdies in a row. I was talking to Patton Kizzire the other day, and I think I just came back from a Korn Ferry event and the cut was 9 under par for two days. So, if you shot 68-68, you're packing your bags and you're going home, and we were talking and he said, if you shoot 2 under every single day on the PGA Tour, no matter what tournament it is, you're probably gonna be a top 20 golfer in the world. Now, if you shoot 2 under on the Korn Ferry Tour every single day, you're probably gonna lose your card.

So, I mean, that just shows the difference between the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour. I just think the PGA Tour just makes you think a little bit more. While I was on the Korn Ferry Tour, you can just rip driver and make a bunch of birdies, which I love doing that.

BRENTLEY: Who doesn’t?

BLADES: Yeah, yeah, so I'd say that's probably the biggest difference I've noticed.

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BRENTLEY: You've also shot 60 on both tours, too. I probably missed this, but have you ever shot 59?

BLADES: I've not, I've not actually.

BRENTLEY: Not even casually?

BLADES: Not even casually. Well, for some reason, my tournament rounds are lower than kind of just my regular everyday rounds that whenever I'm practicing. I think it's just because it's a focus thing. Maybe when I'm playing around back at home here in Nashville, you know, sometimes maybe I'm working on something, but then when I come to tournament time, I have to throw all that stuff out the window and then just play.

And then plus, I have an awesome caddie on the back, Brett Swedberg. He helps calm me down and knows my game, so he adds definitely a couple shots saved per round, I would say.

BRENTLEY: I think you're definitely a big-game hunter. Now, last week, I went on Golf Channel and I compared you to Xander Schauffele. When Xander was on Korn Ferry, he didn't win, but he was always in contention, scrambled really well, obviously a great ball-striker, but just no weaknesses, all of that. Even, you know, height and stature, like you guys kind of share a lot. Do you see that at all? Am I off base in making that comparison?

BLADES: I'm extremely honored that you're comparing me to Xander Schauffele. I look up to him, I admire him. He's one of the most consistent golfers on the PGA Tour, and I think that's what's so special and so challenging about this game is consistency is very hard to come by. I think Scottie does a phenomenal job at exercising that. I mean, there's just so many variables in golf, like you see guys, they're contending one week, and then all of a sudden turn around the next week, they missed the cut, and you're like, what the heck happened?

My mom, that's the part of the game that she hates is because basketball, you're just so consistent, and then in golf, it's like you said, you can be contending and then you miss a cut. She's like, what, did something go wrong? I'm like, mom, it's just golf. We just got to deal with it. But no, the one thing I want to be able to do is just try to be as consistent as I can be.

BRENTLEY: The private jet story from Bahamas to AmEx, that got a lot of play, but the summer on the Korn Ferry Tour, I mean, you're in some cities that most people will never visit in their life, middle America. What's the craziest travel story, from this past year?

BLADES: I would say one of the coolest events was in Bogota, Colombia, and there were a couple of reasons for that. I remember we were spinning 8-irons back, like I remember I hit 8-iron from 115 yards just to control the spin, just because it had rained a lot and the greens are so soft. But one of the coolest things was we were walking up to the entrance of the golf tournament, and there were a couple of guys holding AK-47s.

BRENTLEY: Normal.

BLADES: I was like, all right, I hope they are our security guards, and they're here to protect us. My sister got a good kick out of that. She was like, they're what? Are you OK? And I said, we're all good down here in Bogota, Colombia.

BRENTLEY: Yeah, that's gotta be a little unnerving, no matter whose side they're on. Obviously, you've been repping the Callaway hat for a while. I was so shocked that equipment trucks were actually at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. Is that a normal thing throughout the year on Korn Ferry, and if so, or even if not, do you have a story from this year where they kind of saved the day? Like something broke or you needed something and they had to, you know, scramble 11th hour to overnight something to you?

BLADES: Yeah, I’m just so blessed and honored to be a part of Team Callaway. The reps are incredible. Mike Soroka, who was my Korn Ferry Tour rep, and Steve Mata, I mean, they're just the best. I remember there was one time I was playing, I think it was in Raleigh, North Carolina … but my driver failed. My driver had failed, and I was like, man, I don't have another driver head backup. And then Soroka said, Give me a second, and he came out and had a perfect driver head, and it actually was perfect because my spin with the other driver head was about 2,100, which is a little low. But then as soon as I went to the new driver head, it was at 2,400, which is ideal. I mean, is it usual for the trucks to be out there? There's always gonna be a Callaway rep on site. Now, PGA Tour, they travel with the big fancy truck.

BRENTLEY: Oh yeah, you'll be in heaven.

BLADES: I mean, I've just had a blast hanging out with all the Callaway guys on both tours.

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BRENTLEY: So you probably are aware of this, but you should be, in your freshman year, freshman first semester of college right now. I feel like it's been long enough. How close were you actually to going to school? Put a percentage on it.

BLADES: Man, I would say it was probably 51%-49%. I thought I was gonna go to college. I went on five visits. I went to Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Stanford and Illinois. And, I mean, it's like going to a Ferrari dealership; they're all nice, it's just a matter of what you wanted. And then the thought of turning professional came on the table, and I was like, man, you're telling me I get to play on tour all the time, that sounds good to me.

BRENTLEY: Did it make it easier to tell the coaches that, hey, I'm not coming because you weren't picking another school, you were just turning pro?

BLADES: I'm sure a couple of the coaches were kind of relieved that I didn't choose one school over the other, but what was so cool; I called every single one of the college coaches and let them know what I was doing, and they all were like, ‘Blades, go make some birdies. It's been exciting learning about you and about your family.’ And the coolest thing was, a lot of them were like, ‘Hey, Blades, if you're ever in town, let us know and you can practice at our facility.’ And Coach Limbaugh here at Vanderbilt, I still practice out there and hang out with the team, and I'm enjoying hanging out with some of my buddies that are freshmen in college right now, like Tyler Mawhinney and Luke Colton, guys that I played junior golf with. And so just seeing them is awesome.

BRENTLEY: I think that means Vanderbilt won the recruiting then.

BLADES: Well, I guess we'll never know.

BRENTLEY: You have a really competitive family. Obviously, your mom played in the WNBA. Your dad's super competitive, as well. Is there any like mundane household chore or anything around the house that you guys are really competitive in?

BLADES: So, one of the family board games that we play is Monopoly, and my dad, we call him the Sensei. We played the other night. It was me, him and his brother, and he whipped us so bad it was almost, it was criminal. It was criminal.

BRENTLEY: Is he the banker, too? Does he control the money?

BLADES: I'm actually the banker and the person that holds the cards because I don't trust anybody else still dealing with the money. My dad has a tendency to, you know, slip a couple 500s into a stack there, but no, we call him the sensei. We call my great uncle, Uncle Oscar, we call him the Great One. I’ve grown up playing Monopoly, and it's just such a fun game. I looked it up the other day, so it's actually luck and skill. I thought it was all luck. And my dad, being the business guy that he is, knows how to sweet talk into a deal, no matter what.

BRENTLEY: When's the last time he's beaten you in golf?

BLADES: We actually played yesterday. He has got a long way to go. I think it's funny, he thinks that he's gonna go out and shoot 65 after not practicing for a little bit. I'm like, Dad, you gotta practice a little bit. But he is an unbelievable putter. He's actually somebody that I look up to when it comes to short game and stuff. He can go months without picking up a club, and he'll roll in 100 feet of putts for those 18 holes. So he is an unbelievable putter. He's taught me that it's mainly just reactive. And it's a lot like shooting a basketball shot, you know, you don't have a lot of time to think, you just got to react.

BRENTLEY: Well, as, as anyone who's gotten older and has had kids, they'll tell you that the less you play, the better you are because it's, you know, less time for bad habits to creep in. I want to touch more on your dad. You know, the past few years, he's gone through his battle with cancer and I'm sure that's been tough on everyone, but seeing how he's been able to go through that, not miss a tournament, be there to support you and still put you and your career ahead of him at times, what's the biggest thing that's taught you now that you look back on these last few years?

BLADES: I would say, unfortunately, with leukemia, it never really goes away. So, he'll have to eventually go back for treatment, hopefully not for a long time, probably another decade or so, which I'll be 29 or 30 before the next time he has to do one of those. But I mean, it's just so special. I think the coolest thing is there aren't very many other people that want you to be better than yourself. And my parents have sacrificed so much for me. My dad, I mean, there's no other individual in the world that has that role. And so, he's poured so much into my life. He's helped me out so much when it comes to the golf. He’s having to take a step back when it comes to some of the hats that he's had on for so many years, just because I have an awesome team around me now. But he's learning about it, and I'm having a blast with him on the road.

BRENTLEY: It's like going up against Scottie Scheffler is nothing to what, you know, he's gone up against. Again, enough time has passed since AmEx back in January; how nervous were you going into that final round?

BLADES: I remember I was walking down the fairway, and I think the week prior – I love going on YouTube and watching just old Tiger Woods highlights and highlights about, you know, just guys playing really good golf. And I had to remind myself, Blades, you're in the tournament, leading the tournament playing with Scottie Scheffler, you know, and the week prior to that, I was watching the highlights of him making a bunch of birdies. And so, I just think it's so cool.

Another story was, I was on the first tee, and I forgot what order I teed off on, but, Scottie, they said, now on the tee from, from Dallas, Texas … Scottie Scheffler, and I started clapping. And Brett looks at me and was like, ‘What? No, no, no, we're playing against him.’ And I go, ‘Sorry, I'm gonna lock in!’

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BRENTLEY: What was more nerve-wracking, playing against Scottie or asking Tiger for a photo at the U.S. Junior? Although I did hear that that he may have asked you for the photo, is that true?

BLADES: I can't remember how it happened, but that was at the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2024, I believe. Oakland Hills, yeah, Charlie was in the field, so Tiger was there watching him, and I remember after he had finished, someone told me, hey, you know, you want a picture with Tiger? I said, absolutely. And I mean there were probably 1,000 or so people just huddled around there to see Tiger and Charlie, and I got to go up to the front and shake his hand, and I just remember his hand felt like a ribeye, like I can't even put it into words. I've never shaken somebody's hand that felt that way, and I mean, his hands, so many thousands of golf balls, millions of golf balls. I don't know, I would probably say as of right now, just because I was playing golf, and when I met Tiger, I'd finished playing golf, I'd probably say I was more excited to play with Scottie.

BRENTLEY: Now, some people don't know this, but when you broke Bobby Jones' record at Cherry Hills at the U.S. Amateur the year before, Jackson Koivun’s the one who knocked you out of match play in the round of 32. What do you still remember about that match? And then the second part of the question is, I mean, you saw what he did this summer. What does Blades Brown have to do in 2027 to do something like Koivun did, win and play on one of these teams.

BLADES: I'm not surprised at all at the success that Koivun’s had. I remember when I played against him at the round of 32, you know, he was just a stripe show. I mean, you do not want to let that guy get hot with the putter cause it's gonna be a lot of birdies if he does. But no, I mean, I'm just, I'm so excited for the 2027 season. I'm just gonna keep focusing on some of the goals and some of the expectations for myself and see what we can make happen. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

BRENTLEY: All right, well, I have a few rapid fire questions before I let you go. We’re a little bit over the time I told you, but you know, you're young – although I did hear that you like you literally have your day scheduled out by like 15-minute blocks.

BLADES: I love knowing what I'm doing day to day. It's really easy to see if something's working and something's not working if I have it all scheduled.

BRENTLEY: We will spin through this, but you've played with a lot of guys this year. Whose game is most underrated?

BLADES: I’d probably say Wyndham Clark. I remember I got to play with him at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and obviously he won the U.S. Open this year, but he hit one drive so far right, I want to say on hole 15 or 16, and I look at my caddie Brett, and I go, ‘This dude's a major champion?’ And so, he was in like the other fairway, all the way to the right, like it was probably an 80-yard slice. And then he hits it up to about 30 feet and makes the putt for birdie, and I go, well, yeah, that makes sense. So, I'd probably say Wyndham Clark's putting is very underrated. He's an extremely good putter.

BRENTLEY: Most comfortable shot for you, yardage, club, shot shape?

BLADES: I would say a stock tight fade off the tee.

BRENTLEY: OK, least comfortable?

BLADES: Right now, I'd probably say like a 50-yard bunker shot to a back pin.

BRENTLEY: Non-major, so take out Augusta, take out Pebble Beach, but the PGA Tour course that you're most looking forward to playing that you haven't played yet.

BLADES: TPC Sawgrass. I have played it as a junior at the Junior Players, but I haven’t played it in tournament conditions where it's windy and firm and fast.

BRENTLEY: Don't you have a little redemption, you know, at TPC Sawgrass?

BLADES: Oh yeah, oh yeah, one of my buddies, Hamilton Coleman, he actually beat me in a playoff for that title. It took him two holes, and unfortunately, I came runner-up, but I was really excited to see him win Junior Players.

BRENTLEY: Guilty pleasure on the road? Could be food. Could be something that rots your brain. I mean, you're 19…

BLADES: It's hard to go wrong with Chick-fil-A chicken minis. I actually found this out, so you have 30 minutes to do this. So, the breakfast closes at 10:30 for Chick-fil-A, right? And they're not open on Sundays, but breakfast closes at 10:30, and from 10 o'clock to 10:30, you can get the grilled nuggets and put them in the Chick-fil-A chicken minis. So you have a 30-minute window to get like a healthier version of chicken minis.

BRENTLEY: No way. That’s the hack for Chick-fil-A…

BLADES: You gotta go try grilled chicken minis or grilled grilled nuggets.

BRENTLEY: Might have to do that. We can call that order, the Blades. All right, strangest item in your golf bag? Or most random – strange is kind of a strong word.

BLADES: I don't really have a lot of strange items. I have a little Aquaphor chap (holds up the stick). I try to keep my golf bag pretty clean.

BRENTLEY: Anything sentimental then?

BLADES: I always like to have 12 golf balls in there. I always like to make sure my tees are restocked. I like to use the same ball marker, which right now, I'm using a president's silver coin with the United States flag printed in the middle of it, from Tri Star stamps here in Nashville, and that's probably my favorite one right now. Yeah, I don't really have anything sentimental in my bag. I like to keep it pretty clean. I like to keep it as light as possible. I'm sure Brett, my caddie likes that as well.

BRENTLEY: What's the most consecutive free throws you've made?

BLADES: I actually don't know that, but I have made, I wanna say, close to 50 3-pointers in a row, just shooting around.

BRENTLEY: Impressive. Do you have another hidden talent besides basketball and pickleball?

BLADES: I like ping-pong. Ping-pong is a lot of fun. I've been playing a lot of it whenever I go down to Sea Island with one of my buddies down there, and it can get pretty aggressive.

PGA TOUR

BRENTLEY: Speaking of Sea Island, this kind of dovetails into the last question. We have three months until the PGA Tour season begins next year. What are you doing these next three months? Do you have any tournaments? Do you have any fun trips planned? What are the holidays gonna look like for you?

BLADES: Yeah, so I'm extremely fortunate. I still have special temporary status on the PGA Tour, so I will get to play the last – I'm not playing Bermuda this week – but I will play the last four, hopefully the last four fall events on the PGA Tour, to see if we can make some birdies and maybe squeeze out something special.

BRENTLEY: Well, there's also a top-50 benchmark in the OWGR that comes with a Masters invite, too.

BLADES: That's definitely one of the goals I have for next year.