Why 17-year-old Blades Brown is passing up PGA Tour exemption this week
Turn down a PGA Tour invite?
That's exactly what 17-year-old pro Blades Brown did this week in passing up his offer to compete in the PGA Tour's CJ Cup Byron Nelson outside of Dallas. There's a perfectly reasonable explanation, too, as Brown has his eyes locked on earning a PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour.
And so, Brown, who received a boatload of points for his T-2 finish on Sunday at the KFT's Veritex Bank Championship, will take his talents across the border for the KFT's event in Tulum, Mexico.
Brown has made three KFT starts this season, all on sponsor exemptions, and has earned enough points (approximately 185) to slot No. 44 on the KFT points list. Though he has only one sponsor invite left before he reaches his maximum, he won't have to burn it in Mexico since he will instead use an exemption afforded to players who finished in the top 25 the previous week.
Unlimited sponsor exemptions will be allotted to Brown should he earn 53 more points and receive special temporary membership, which he won't be able to accept until he turns 18 on May 21. However, once a special temporary member, he will have an open runway to earning one of the 20 available PGA Tour cards given to the top KFT finishers at season's end.
Brown has made four PGA Tour starts this year, missing three of four cuts and tying for 34th at the Mexico Open.
With Brown out of the Nelson field, the extra sponsor exemption was given to Chesson Hadley. Chez Reavie also received a late invite after Zach Johnson got in on his number.
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