19-year-old Blades Brown becomes youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years

Blades Brown became the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years Sunday when the 19-year-old rallied from a seven-shot deficit with a 9-under 63 and beat Ben James with a birdie on the second playoff hole in the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Brown became the youngest winner since Charles Kocsis won the Michigan Open in 1931 when he was 18, a tournament that was considered a regional event in the early years of the PGA.

James lost a four-shot lead going into the final round at El Cardonal at Diamante and then showed his moxie by smoking a 285-yard shot into 20 feet on the par-5 18th and making eagle to salvage a 70 and force the playoff.

But he missed an 8-foot putt on the second playoff hole, and Brown made his 3-footer.

"I'm so obsessed with this game. It tests you in so many ways," said Brown, who graduated high school in January. "I love golf, all the stuff that goes into it and I can't wait for what's next."

For a sleepy FedEx Cup Fall event on the southern tip of Baja California, this was pure theater between two players from the next generation. James was the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking last season. Brown make a surprising choice to turn pro two years ago while a junior in high school.

Brown was tested even more by going through two bags of golf balls on the range waiting to see if the two-shot lead he had over James would hold, and then going back out to the 18th to decide it.

On the first extra hole, their approach shots were side-by-side, separated by about 3 feet, and both narrowly missed eagle chances. They returned to the 18th tee and their drives were next to each other. Both came up just short of the green.

James nearly holed his pitch and saw it run out 8 feet.