The American Express: Scheffler Secures 20th Win as Brown Breaks Course Record

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won The American Express PGA Tour event in La Quinta, California, securing his 20th career PGA Tour title. The tournament also featured a notable performance by 18-year-old Blades Brown, who recorded a new course record of 60 strokes on the Nicklaus Tournament course during the second round, ultimately finishing tied for 18th.

Scheffler Dominates The American Express

Scottie Scheffler finished the tournament with a total score of 27-under par 261, carding a six-under par 66 in the final round on the Stadium Course, resulting in a four-shot victory. Scheffler's only double-bogey in the final round occurred on the 17th hole after hitting his tee shot into the water. Earlier, a wedge to two feet on the 12th hole secured a birdie, extending his lead.

A Milestone Victory for Scheffler

"This victory marks Scheffler's 20th US PGA Tour title, making him the first player since Tiger Woods to reach this milestone before the age of 30."

He has now achieved at least one victory for five consecutive seasons. At 29 years old, Scheffler joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to achieve 20 wins and four major championships before turning 30. Nine of his 20 victories have been by four shots or more, securing him a lifetime PGA Tour membership. Scheffler is scheduled to take a week off before competing in three consecutive events, beginning with the Phoenix Open.

Blades Brown's Remarkable Performance

"Eighteen-year-old Blades Brown, competing in his 10th career PGA Tour start, recorded a 12-under par 60 on the Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA West during the second round."

This score established a new record for the course. During this round, Brown started with eight-under-par on his first seven holes, including an eagle, and narrowly missed a sub-59 round by missing two birdie putts on his final two holes. He finished the second round tied for the lead with Scottie Scheffler at 17-under-par.

Brown began Sunday's final round one shot behind 54-hole leader Si Woo Kim and one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler on the fourth hole. Scheffler birdied the fourth, while Brown double-bogeyed the par-5 fifth, altering the leaderboard. Brown ultimately finished tied for 18th place with a final round of 74. Brown described the experience, particularly playing alongside Scheffler, as valuable.

Brown's Rapid Rise and Grueling Schedule

Brown, a Tennessee native, turned professional a year ago, opting not to attend college, and holds full status on the Korn Ferry Tour. Earlier in the week, he finished tied for 17th at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour on Wednesday. He then traveled approximately 3,000 miles via private jet, arriving in La Quinta at approximately 8:00 p.m. the night before The American Express began, where he competed on a sponsor exemption. Brown had completed high school two weeks prior to the tournament.

His participation marked his seventh consecutive day of competitive golf by Saturday. Had he participated in Sunday's final round, he would have completed eight competitive rounds across the PGA and Korn Ferry tours in eight days, a feat that would have been a first in modern history.

Other Notable Finishers

Jason Day of Australia finished tied for second place after carding an eight-under par 64 in the final round, bringing his career total to 100 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. Americans Ryan Gerard (65), Matt McCarty (68), and Andrew Putnam (68) also tied for second with a total of 265. South Korea's Kim Si-woo, who was the 54-hole leader, posted a 72 and finished tied for sixth at 22-under par after struggles on the eighth and ninth holes.