Blades Brown has linked his great week in Puerto Rico with another solid start on the PGA Tour. The young American, who last Sunday finished third at the Puerto Rico Open, began the Valspar Championship on Thursday with a round of 69, two under par, on the demanding Copperhead course at Innisbrook.
Brown particularly valued the momentum his result last week gave him to get into the tournament and compete among the best again. “Yes, one hundred per cent,” he replied when asked if playing well in Puerto Rico had been important to earn this opportunity.
The 18-year-old made it clear that the test at Copperhead was very different. “This course is no joke. You have to know where your ball is going. The rough is high, the fairways are narrow and the greens are firm. When you put those three things together, you have a really good course,” he explained.
Beyond his performance, Brown also provided one of the day’s most interesting moments when talking about Brandt Snedeker, one of the veterans on the circuit and one of the names sharing the spotlight this week. The relationship between them goes back a long way. Brown grew up playing the Sneds Tour, the junior circuit promoted by Snedeker, and he remembers perfectly a scene from when he was nine years old.
“I was facing a two-and-a-half-metre putt for par. I did my routine and I glanced over to see that the person watching me was Brandt Snedeker. I had to step away, start again, and luckily I holed the putt,” he recounted with a laugh.
From there, Brown did not spare praise for the 2012 FedExCup champion. “He has had an enormous influence on my career. The Sneds Tour was very important to me and it gives me great joy to see that he is still competing so well,” he said.
Sharing a tournament with one of his role models is something special for Brown. “It’s incredible. He’s 45 and I’m 18. Every time I see him in the hallway or on the practice area I give him a fist bump and we chat for a moment. He’s one of the most positive people around and has been a huge inspiration in my career,” he said.
There was even room for a joke when he was asked about their duels on the practice area. “I don’t know if he’ll like me saying this, but his ball speed will be around 165 and I might be close to 180. Sometimes we get a bit competitive,” he commented. He then grew serious again: “I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s a fantastic guy.”
With that mix of cheekiness, respect and authenticity, Brown continues to make his mark. In Puerto Rico he drew attention for fighting for the title; at the Valspar he has started by showing that his performance was no fluke.
