Blades Brown on Breakthroughs, Birdies, and the Callaway Family | Podcast #436

Posted September 14, 2026 by Tom Brassell

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:28 — 30.2MB)

At just 19, Blades Brown is already living a golf life most players only dream about. In this episode of the Worldwide Golf Insider Podcast, host Tom Brassell sat down with the Nashville native (brought to the show by Callaway Golf) for a wide-ranging conversation about his rapid rise, a career-defining eight days earlier this year, his long relationship with Callaway, and why he still sees the game as pure fun.

From the Range at Richland to the Professional Ranks

Brown’s love affair with golf started the way so many do—with a parent and a club. He doesn’t remember the exact day, but one moment stands out. Around age eight or nine at his home course, Richland Country Club in Nashville, he was hitting balls with his dad when he pureed an 8-iron that hit the pin and stopped a foot away. He looked at his father and said, “Yep, I’m going to try to do that every time.”

A decade later, he’s still chasing that feeling. Brown grew up in an athletic household—his mother played college basketball at Vanderbilt and spent time in the WNBA—so competition came naturally. He started competing seriously in his early teens on the U.S. Kids Golf circuit, moved to the Sneds Tour (founded by Brent Snedeker), then the AJGA. College interest was strong: he took official visits to Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Stanford, and Illinois. One highlight was watching Vanderbilt upset Alabama in football during his official visit—an electric atmosphere he still talks about.

Ultimately, the amateur game accelerated so quickly that turning professional felt like the right next step. “I just started to progress so fast… and I’m very excited with the decision I made,” Brown said. His mother would have loved an “Anchor Down” decision at Vanderbilt, but the pro path called.

Eight Unforgettable Days

The defining stretch of Brown’s young career came earlier this year. He competed in a Korn Ferry Tour event in Abaco, finished in the top 20, then hopped on a private jet arranged by a supporter for a six-and-a-half-hour flight to La Quinta. The next morning he teed it up in the American Express on the PGA Tour.

In the second round he shot 60 and briefly sat on a 59 watch. He had never made a putt for 59 outside of competition; the first time it became realistic was on one of the biggest stages in the game. By the final round he found himself in the same group as Scottie Scheffler.

Brown’s takeaway went beyond the scoreboard. “I learned that I love professional golf. I love playing golf. I love the environment around golf. I love the relationships that you build.” He was especially complimentary of Scheffler, who made the teenager feel completely at ease. There was even a light-hearted first-tee mix-up when Brown momentarily forgot he was the one being announced alongside the world No. 1.

That week helped secure special temporary membership status, allowing him to play PGA Tour fall events. Combined with a strong position on the Korn Ferry points list (around 10th at the time of the interview), Brown sits in a rare dual-status position heading into the Korn Ferry playoffs—the first of which is in his home state of Nashville.

A Callaway Relationship That Started with an Instagram Story

Brown has been with Callaway since he was 13. The origin story is pure golf-world serendipity. Playing a round with LPGA player (and friend) Emma Talley, she posted an Instagram story of him draining an eagle putt at Vanderbilt Legends Club with the caption “Watch out, Blades Brown.” A Callaway rep saw it, noticed the Callaway hat, and reached out. He’s been repping the brand ever since.

He speaks warmly about the people behind the logo, including CEO Chip Brewer, whom he describes as a genuine family guy who loves what he does. Brown’s current bag is all Callaway:

Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond driver (9°)
Callaway Quantum Titanium 3-wood (“it pierces the wind a lot more”)
Alternating 7-wood (“Heaven Wood”) and 2-iron depending on course conditions and wind
Apex Pro MBs (2021 model) from 4-iron through pitching wedge
Callaway Opus Wedges (50°, 54°, 58°)
Odyssey Ai ONE Double Wide Putter

He plays the Callaway Chrome Tour ball (the “dot” version), citing a blend of greenside spin and distance off the tee. Brown emphasizes that equipment is about eliminating variables. “My job as a professional is to eliminate as many variables as possible… I’m swinging the exact same and letting the equipment do the rest.” His advice to everyday players is simple: get fitted, find something repeatable, and stop manipulating the club.

Looking Ahead

Asked about goals, Brown is clear: play on the PGA Tour full-time. A couple of strong finishes in the upcoming Korn Ferry playoffs would put him in excellent position for a 2027 card. In the meantime he’ll enjoy sleeping in his own bed for the Nashville event and keep making birdies—“birdies usually take care of everything.”

His final message to listeners was refreshingly grounded: “Golf is a game. You’re supposed to have fun, play with your friends, play as much as you want, and have fun. That’s what it is. That’s what it’s all about.”

From striping an 8-iron as a kid in Nashville to sharing a final group with Scottie Scheffler and building a long-term partnership with Callaway, Blades Brown’s story is still in its early chapters. If the first 19 years are any indication, the next ones will be worth watching closely.

Special thanks to Blades Brown for joining the Worldwide Golf Insider Podcast and to Callaway Golf for making the conversation possible. For more conversations with the game’s rising and established stars, keep checking worldwidegolf.com.