Blades Brown was in scintillating form on day two of the American Express on Friday.

The supremely talented teenager posted a ridiculously special round of 12-under par 60 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course in La Quinta, California.

Brown is now tied for the lead at the American Express, alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler heading into the third round on Saturday.

It was a sign of his exceptional confidence when Brown suggested that he’d love to be paired with Scheffler on day four of the American Express.

How many PGA Tour events and majors will Blades Brown go on to win in his career?

He’s a seriously special talent…

This is an 18 year old unlike the vast majority of other teenagers.

Scheffler admitted that Brown’s round of 60 was seriously impressive in the Californian desert on Friday.

Now the challenge for Brown will be to maintain the form he’s shown over the first two days in La Quinta during the third and fourth rounds.

However, even if he doesn’t manage to win, he has already made one LIV Golf star look rather silly after his comments about the PGA Tour earlier this week.

Blades Brown has just made a mockery of LIV golfer’s comments

Graeme McDowell hit the headlines on Tuesday when he suggested that LIV Golf provides a better platform for young players than the PGA Tour.

The 2010 US Open champion suggested that the mentoring that young players receive from the more experienced stars on LIV is invaluable.

He also claimed that the PGA Tour is becoming more and more of a closed shop with every year that passes.

“Hot take, but LIV is a legitimate pathway for young potential superstars who can get paid to be mentored in their young careers by Tour greats and play a guaranteed schedule.

“The road to the PGA Tour is increasingly perilous and littered with great talent that never made it,” he claimed.

“No disputing from me that the PGA Tour is the most complete tour in the world to play golf right now,” McDowell added.

“My point is that it is also increasingly becoming a closed shop, like LIV, with harder and narrower pathways to get there.

“Getting there is arguably harder than staying there, and golf is one of the few sports in the world in which the best young talents are not guaranteed their shot on the big stage.

“Pathways will always be important, and LIV is providing a very interesting and compelling opportunity for the next-gen player. Cash in their pocket and a chance to compete at a high level, in my humble opinion.”

McDowell’s comments raised some eyebrows at the time.

The PGA Tour is a meritocracy to the core and to suggest otherwise is sycophantic in the extreme.

The problem for the Northern Irishman is that Blades Brown has completely blown his claim out of the water.

Blades Brown proves that a PGA Tour career is possible if you’re good enough

Brown is only 18, yet he has already played in nine PGA Tour events, with the American Express the 10th appearance of his career.

Not only is he there to make up the numbers but he has a genuine chance to win the golf tournament.

How many times do you think Scottie Scheffler will win in 2026?

Over or under 4.5…

The teenager is ranked tied 1st in the greens in regulation and scrambling categories at the American Express so far this week.

He is ranked 14th in putting, 5th in driving accuracy and 29th in driving distance.

Brown is the full package and he will undoubtedly go on to win many PGA Tour events throughout his career.

Crucially, though, Blades Brown has proven that if you’re good enough, you will make it on the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour is certainly not a ‘closed shop’ like McDowell claimed it is.

Meanwhile, the same cannot be said for LIV Golf … ironically.

If Brown goes on to win the American Express, McDowell’s comments will be made to look even more silly.