Blades Brown
Raj Mehta, Getty Images
GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS | As Blades Brown blazed a trail of birdies on the way to a third-round 61 in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Evans Scholars Invitational two Saturdays ago, 12-year-old Michael Kilsdonk watched every shot with his father, Jason, and younger brother Daniel.
“He’s a role model for sure,” Kilsdonk said of the 19-year-old phenom. “It shows what you can do at a young age.”
As Brown walked off the 18th green at the Glen Club, a large group of children waited to ask for his autograph, and he took several minutes to sign every hat, flag and ball handed to him. Kilsdonk was in that group, borrowing his dad’s phone to take a picture with Brown.
Kilsdonk walked away with a large grin, celebrating as he handed the phone back.
Twelve-year-old Michael Kilsdonk takes a selfie with Blades Brown at the Evans Scholars Invitational.
courtesy Western Golf Association
“I was once that little kid that was saying the same thing,” Brown said afterwards. “It’s very cool to be in the position that I am right now and I’m thankful and grateful.”
Brown, whose success in nine PGA Tour starts this season earned him special temporary membership on the big tour, is taking a strategic approach to securing full membership for next season, playing primarily on the Korn Ferry Tour with an eye toward earning his card by finishing in the top 20 on the points list. After finishing T6 in the Utah Championship on Sunday, just one stroke out of a five-way playoff, Brown is ninth in points.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee native will accept sponsor exemptions into select PGA Tour events, including this week’s Wyndham Championship, where he’ll look to add to the six top-25 finishes he’s posted this season, including a third place at the Puerto Rico Open and a T18 at the American Express, where he shot a second-round 60.
“It’s been a total success,” Brown said of his 2026 campaign. “A year ago from now, I was still playing Monday qualifiers for Korn Ferry events. To be in the position I am now, just saying I have both PGA Tour and Korn Ferry status, it’s a pretty cool spot to be in.”
At the Evans Scholars Invitational, Brown finished T5 and drew large galleries all four days. He attracted fans of all ages hoping to get a glimpse of an up-and-coming star.
“[My parents] legally have to come just because I can’t sign into hotels and rent cars. … A couple of my buddies out here, they’re like, ‘Man, you get your mom taking you to work?’ I’m like, ‘Yep, I love my mom.’”
blades brown
Brown interacted with the crowd all week, handing out balls and fist bumps. After taking a sizable divot on the eighth hole of his second round, he picked it up and pantomimed a phone call, which drew a hearty chuckle from the gallery.
Whether he made a birdie or a bogey, Brown’s calm demeanor rarely changed, a personality trait his mother, Rhonda, said has defined him for years.
“He’s just always had an old soul,” she said. “He’s just calm. A lot of people that age probably aren’t calm, and he just does a good job of keeping his emotions in check. I think that’s a good personality for golf.”
Rhonda followed her son all four days, and Brown greeted her with a hug and a kiss immediately after every round. Whether it’s Rhonda, his father Parke, or both, Brown has never played a professional tournament without a parent in attendance.
“They legally have to come just because I can’t sign into hotels and rent cars,” Brown said. “It’s pretty funny. A couple of my buddies out here, they’re like, ‘Man, you get your mom taking you to work?’ I’m like, ‘Yep, I love my mom.’”
Brown’s parents have taught him the value of perseverance from an early age. Rhonda played two seasons in the WNBA and coached girls basketball for 23 years at Brentwood Academy in Tennessee. Parke, meanwhile, has battled kidney stones and a rare but treatable form of leukemia in the early stages of Brown’s pro career.
“My dad’s a warrior,” Brown said. “He’s a massive reason why I try to be so resilient on the golf course. He’s proven to me that you never give up and never give in.”
Parke witnessed Brown’s third-round 61 at the Glen Club and was overcome with emotion as he watched from afar on the 18th hole. Beyond the scores and the galleries, Parke said his greatest rewards come from watching his son grow on and off the course.
“It’s the hallmark of a dad’s life to get to watch [his] son do something that makes [him] happy, not just happy, but joyous and fulfilled,” Parke said. “Blades has so much energy and passion for this game and love for it. His energy seems to be magnified when he’s playing and he enjoys the impact he can have on people.”
Nick Neumayer
