Brown Claims PGA Title After 7-Shot Comeback
The 19-year-old beat Ben James in a playoff at the World Wide Technology Championship, becoming the youngest winner in 95 years.
By Ana Castro ·
Blades Brown defeated Ben James on the second playoff hole to win the World Wide Technology Championship on Sunday in Los Cabos, Mexico. The 19-year-old posted a final-round score of 63, finishing 23-under par with a total of 265. He secured a two-year PGA Tour exemption and a spot in the 2027 PGA Championship through this victory.
Brown trailed James by seven shots entering the final round at El Cardonal at Diamante. James had held a four-shot lead before the last 18 holes. The Tennessee native closed with three consecutive birdies on the back nine to take the lead. He hit a pitch from 12 feet for a final birdie to post his 63.
James salvaged a spot in the playoff by making an eagle on the 18th hole. He hit a 285-yard shot into 20 feet on the par-5 and converted the birdie putt to finish at 22-under par. The two players had known each other since their junior days. Brown, who graduated high school in January, had turned pro while still a high school junior two years ago.
The playoff began at the 18th hole. Both players missed eagle opportunities with approaches that landed side by side. They returned to the tee, and their drives landed next to each other. Both players finished short of the green. James hit a pitch that stopped eight feet from the hole. Brown’s pitch came up three feet short.
James missed an eight-foot putt that grazed the right edge of the cup. Brown sank the three-footer to win. "I'm so obsessed with this game. It tests you in so many ways," Brown said. "I love golf, all the stuff that goes into it and I can't wait for what's next."
The win extends Brown’s streak of recent success. He earned his PGA Tour card for 2027 by finishing in the top 20 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. The new exemption places him in the Championship Series when the PGA Tour’s new model launches in 2028. The result marks his first major championship entry.
James, the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking last season, has now finished runner-up twice in 13 starts since turning pro. He has five top-five finishes in that span. The loss adds to a pattern of near-misses for the young player.
Denny McCarthy, who was winless in his previous 240 PGA Tour starts over nine years, took the early lead on Sunday. He made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole. He then hit a pitch to the par-5 14th that forced a par. From the 15th fairway, he came up 40 feet short and three-putted for bogey. His 17th tee shot landed right of the 18th tee box. His next shot hit a dirt path and entered a hazard, resulting in a double bogey. He finished with a 69.
