Brentwood golfer Blades Brown could become youngest winner of the Tennessee State Open

Blades Brown, a 16-year-old from Brentwood, could become the youngest golfer to win the Tennessee State Open if he holds onto the lead he took in the second round Wednesday.

Brown shot a blistering 8-under-par 63 at GreyStone in Dickson to move into first place. He posted six birdies along with an eagle on No. 2.

The youngest winner in tournament history was Chattanooga's Derek Rende, who was 20 when he won in 2007 at Gaylord Springs.

"I remember looking up last year at the (Tennessee) State Amateur what's the youngest person to ever win that and I think it was a 16-year-old," Brown said. "I didn't think to look it up before this tournament but I'm glad to find out I have the chance to be the youngest to ever win it. It doesn't put any added pressure on me. It just goes in one ear and out the other."

Brown's two-round total of 129 tied the Tennessee State Open 36-hole scoring record.

He is one stroke ahead of 31-year-old Payne Denman (66-64) and two strokes ahead of 29-year-old Michael Nagy (65-66) and 25-year-old Hunter Wolcott (69-62). Denman, a DeKalb County native, is a former Middle Tennessee State and Florida golfer. Nagy and Wolcott, a Dickson native, are former University of Tennessee golfers.

Brown, the son of former Vanderbilt women's basketball player Rhonda Blades, was tied for eighth at 5 under after the first round and two strokes behind the leader Eric Anset, a professional. Brown knew he could play better.

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"I wasn't dissatisfied after the first round, I mean I shot 5 under," Brown said. "It's just I didn't convert on some opportunities and I had some lousy bogeys I probably shouldn't have had. Today I just was patient and trusted my game. I also made some putts and that really, really helps."

Brown only had 26 total putts Wednesday. His longest putt was from off the green on No. 2 from more than 30 feet for eagle.

"I was just trying to lag it up there and it went in," he said. "I love GreyStone. I don't know what they've done with the greens but the greens are phenomenal. I don't know what it is with me and bent grass but I do seem to putt well on them. They just roll so pure."

Brown, a rising Brentwood Academy sophomore, is the two-time defending TSSAA Division II-AA state champion. He won as a freshman in 2022 and as an eighth grader in 2021.

Anset, a former Lipscomb golfer, slipped into a tie for seventh after shooting 2 under Wednesday and going to 9 under after two rounds.

Denman posted five birdies on the front nine and Nos. 14 and 18 on the back to move to second.

Wolcott's 62 Wednesday was the lowest round of the tournament and included 11 birdies and two bogeys. That set the lowest round ever record for the tournament.

His brother Ben (66-66 132) is one stroke back and tied for fifth. The Wolcott's father is former PGA Tour pro Bob Wolcott, who is director of golf at GreyStone.

The 2022 Tennessee State Open champion Brad Hawkins (66-71) is tied for 22nd at 137 and the 2021 champion Nolan Ray (66-70) is tied for 19th at 136.

For the complete scoreboard visit golfgenius.com/pages/3993476.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.