Golf: Brown breaks 95-year record in Mexico
A 19-year-old rookie beats Ben James in a playoff at the World Wide Technology Championship, ending a long drought for young champions.
By Aiko Soto ·
Blades Brown captured the World Wide Technology Championship on Monday in Los Cabos, Mexico, to become the youngest winner in PGA Tour history since 1931. The 19-year-old closed his final round with a 9-under 63 at El Cardonal at Diamante. He defeated Ben James in a sudden-death playoff that stretched to the second extra hole.
Brown, who turned professional as a high school junior, finished at 23 under par with a total score of 265. Michael Kim, who played with the Tennessee native, made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish at 22 under, one shot behind the winner. Brown’s victory breaks a record set by Charles Kocsis, who won the Michigan Open in 1931 at age 18.
The race for the title involved a dramatic finish between two young players. James, the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking last season, entered the final round with a four-shot lead. He salvaged his tournament with a 285-yard shot into 20 feet on the par-5 18th hole, making eagle to force the playoff.
The playoff drama unfolded on the 18th hole, a par 5. On the first extra hole, both players missed eagle chances with their approach shots. On the second extra hole, their drives landed side by side, and both came up short of the green. James hit a pitch that ran out 8 feet. Brown’s pitch came up 3 feet short. James’ birdie attempt grazed the right edge of the cup, while Brown’s 3-footer dropped to secure the win.
Brown made up a seven-shot deficit in the final round. He spent time on the practice range, using two bags of golf balls, to wait and see if his two-shot lead would hold. He then ran off three straight birdies on the back nine to share the lead before hitting a pitch for birdie on the final hole.
The win grants Brown a two-year exemption. This places him in the elite Championship Series when the PGA Tour’s new model begins in 2028. It also guarantees him a spot in next year’s PGA Championship, his first major tournament.
James remains winless in 13 professional starts. He has five top-five finishes and two runner-up results. Denny McCarthy, who had not won in 240 starts, also faltered late in the day. He shot 69 after a double bogey on the 17th hole, where he hit a shot off a dirt path into a hazard.
