LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA — A chaotic week for 18-year-olds blade brown He was an inch away from the highlight on Friday, when he missed a 6-foot birdie putt for 59, which would have left him tied for the lead at American Express. Scotty Scheffler.
Brown, who turned professional last year and was weeks away from graduating high school, needed only one birdie on the final three holes on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, the easiest of the three courses in the rotation in ideal weather.
He hit a gap wedge just right of the pin on his last hole, the par-4 ninth. had the benefit of seeing him david ford Go on that line first. He picked his spot, swung the putt and it was spot on, touching the edge as the gallery groaned.
No matter.
“I’m so bummed, plus I need a big nap,” he said.
Brown achieved Korn Ferry Tour status last year and was in the Bahamas for a tournament that did not end until Wednesday. He used the flight voucher he earned by finishing in the top 50 at last year’s Myrtle Beach Classic to fly private to Palm Springs, and arrived at his hotel about 8 p.m. the day before at American Express, where he is playing at a sponsor discount.
And now he’ll be joining golf’s best players for the weekend.
“We’ll see what happens,” Brown said.
Scheffler was not as sharp as he had been in the opening round and still managed to shoot a bogey-free 64 playing in front of the largest gallery and two groups ahead of Brown.
Scheffler has started on the two easiest courses — he faces the Stadium Course on Saturday — and was just 2 under through eight holes. It feels like losing ground. But then he birdied No. 18, turned the corner and birdied two of the next three and then three in a row at the end of the round.
“I didn’t get the start I was hoping for today,” Scheffler said. “Also, I did a really good job on the back nine of staying patient and not really trying to force things there. I made a nice birdie on my ninth hole today, which was 18, and made some nice birdies on that back nine.
“We’re halfway done, but I put myself in good position with two solid rounds after two days, and hopefully put in another solid round tomorrow, and then we’ll see where we go on Sunday.”
A casual tournament in the Coachella Valley, usually nestled among desert mountains, palm trees and emerald green fairways, sold out Friday.
Scheffler is a big attraction in the strongest field in years. And now, there’s a teenager who is one step away from becoming the youngest player to turn 60 in PGA Tour history.
Brown immediately attracted attention when he was 8 under through seven holes – six birdies and a 25-foot eagle on the way to No. 11 after starting on the back nine.
“And then, by the time we turned, I said, ‘Okay, some birdies on the front nine, let’s see how low we can go.’ When I stepped onto the 18th tee box, I knew what was at stake. I knew I needed a birdie to get 59 and I was so close this time.”
Brown was not alone. When he was leading on his final hole with a shot of 59 on the Nicklaus Course, Andrew Putnam La Quinta was on the 18th hole and needed a birdie to break 60.
Both became equal. And with the tournament half over, thoughts are turning to the weekend in which Scheffler, as usual, tops the leaderboard with a teenager, both at 17-under 127.
Scheffler doesn’t know much about Brown, other than that he turned professional while still in high school. Scheffler also heard that Brown was at the Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas (Brown finished tied for 17th) without knowing it would not end until Wednesday, and he flew straight to PGA West.
“So he’s in form,” Scheffler said with a smile.
“These kids are coming out, they know they have to come out and make some birdies,” Scheffler said. “I think when you come up young, you don’t have as many marks as guys who are a little more experienced have, and you just come out, and if you want to make a name for yourself, you’ve got to get some good marks.
“Looks like a pretty good start to his career there for an 18-year-old 59-year-old.”
Before Brown missed his short birdie putt on the final hole, the point stood. It was an impressive round of golf for anyone, let alone anyone under the age of 18.
Si Woo KimThe defending champion here shot 65 on the tough Stadium Course and was one shot behind, with a lot of players lining up behind him.
Eleven players were separated by three shots at the halfway mark, including a group rickie fowler And Windham ClarkBoth three behind. No deductions will be made until Saturday after everyone has played all three courses.
