17-year-old new pro Blades Brown explains how Tiger Woods has inspired his iron play
2 Min Read
In a recent “What’s in the Bag?” video with PGATOUR.COM, 17-year-old Blades Brown – who’s making his professional debut this week at The American Express 2025 – discussed each of the clubs in his Callaway staff bag, and why they’re in it. While discussing his irons (yes, they’re blades), Brown revealed a hilarious tidbit about his iron play, and how he draws upon inspiration from Tiger Woods.
Woods famously hits the center of his clubface quite often, and he also practices frequently. That combination leads to Woods creating some awe-inspiring wear marks on the direct centers of his club faces, perfectly illustrated by the photo of his putter face below.
A closer look at the wear marks on Tiger Woods' Scotty Cameron putter. (Courtesy GolfWRX)
“I love all the clubs in my bag, but especially with my irons, I’m working on the wear mark,” Brown said on Tuesday at The American Express about his Callaway Apex MB ’21 blade irons.
A closer look at Blades Brown's Callaway 7-iron. (Courtesy GolfWRX)
“I know Tiger, he has some pretty, pretty good wear marks on his clubs, and I’ve taken inspiration off that. I’m working on, with my irons, hitting it off the center of the face.”
Woods also famously switches between a driving iron and a 5-wood from week to week depending on the course setup and conditions.
Blades is following suit this week.
“(I’ll switch) just depending on the course,” Blades said, referencing the three-course tournament setup this week in La Quinta. “Two-iron, I’m hitting a few tee shots with it at La Quinta, which is a little softer, but then at the Stadium Course, we’re taking the 2-iron out and putting the 5 wood in.”
Brown will be switching between a new Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond 5-wood and a Callaway Apex 2-iron. He's looking to take advantage of the height and stopping power on firm greens that a 5-wood produces while using the 2-iron for a more penetrating fairway-finding shot.
A closer look at Blades Brown's 5-wood. (Courtesy GolfWRX)
Certainly, Woods would approve of that strategy.
In speaking with Blades about the rest of his setup at The American Express, we also learned that Brown uses a center-shafted putter.
A closer look at Blades Brown's putter head. (Courtesy GolfWRX)
“I love to putt,” Blades said. “Putting is one of my favorite things to do in the world … my favorite club in my bag is my putter. It’s an Odyssey Ai-One Double Wide. This thing is awesome. It keeps it super simple on the putting green. That’s what I love about center-shafted (putters), it just keeps it super simple. I’ve been playing a center-shafted (putter) ever since I was 5 years old.”
Funny enough, Woods started using his Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter (pictured above) in 1999, and Blades wasn’t even born until 2007.
Father Time may continue to tick on, but inspiration is timeless.