Top-Ranked Junior Elects to Skip College, Turn Pro at 17

Blades Brown, age 17, has made the decision to turn professional. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

The top-ranked player in the Class of 2026, Blades Brown, has elected to turn pro at age 17.

Brown, No. 1 in the American Junior Golf Association rankings, posted on social media that after weighing offers from some of the country's top golf schools, he decided to forego college.

I am excited to announce that after much prayer and seeking advice from those I trust, I am ready to begin the next chapter of my golf career and will be competing as a professional in 2025.

I will be making my professional debut at @theamexgolf in La Quinta January 16-19. pic.twitter.com/5X6c0fWjSk

— Blades Brown (@BladesBrown2026) December 17, 2024

“This is not a decision that I take lightly, and I have spent the past months weighing all possible options before deciding on what I know is best for me,” Brown said. “While I am proud of the accomplishments of my amateur career, I am focused on the future and getting off to a strong start in my professional career.”

Last year, the then-16-year-old broke Bobby Jones’s 103-year-old record in becoming the youngest medalist at stroke play in the U.S. Amateur. He made the cut at the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic in May, finishing T26.

Brown’s mother, Rhonda Blade, played professional basketball in the WNBA and was the first in the league to make a 3-point shot.

Blades will make his professional debut at the American Express in January on a sponsor exemption.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Top-Ranked Junior Elects to Skip College, Turn Pro at 17.