The Future of The PGA Tour is Already Here

The biggest name who won on Sunday was Jon Rahm, who claimed the Abu Dhabi Championship in his first DP World Tour start since leaving LIV. But the name producing the win with potentially the biggest impact on pro golf's future was Blades Brown, and it's a really, really cool name to boot. Blades birdied his way to PGA Tour Title No. 1 at the Worldwide Technology Championship in Mexico, thanks to a final round 63 and two ensuing birdies in a playoff. And this isn't just some cool story about a young upstart. It's downright historic. That's because Blades became the youngest PGA Tour winner of the modern era at 19 years, five months, and 18 days. A full six months younger than Jordan Spieth when he won the 2013 John Deere Classic. And he's more than 15 months younger than when another golfer with a really, really cool name won his first PGA Tour title, Tiger Woods. Yeah, Blades is a total stud and he is mature beyond his years with how he handles himself on the course and with the media. But let's not forget who he beat in the playoff because Ben James is coming for the PGA Tour as well. The UVA product turned pro this summer and now has five top fives on the PGA Tour in his past nine starts, including a pair of runner-ups. Yeah, this young man is a total stud as well. Not to date myself, but I'm older than Blades and Ben. Combined. That was a tough realization as I watched Sunday evening, but it's an exciting revelation for the PGA Tour. Factor in 21-year-old Jackson Koivu already winning the 3M Open and being a President's Cup star for Team USA, and the future of golf is already here. After finishing one shot out of the playoff in Mexico, PGA Tour veteran Michael Kim tweeted, "'These freaking kids are ruining the game. "'They should have stayed in school.'" Kim added a laughing emoji, but he knows these young guns are no joke. And while that's bad news for the old guard, it's great news for golf fans everywhere.