Blades Brown is one of the game’s rising stars, and had a glittering career even before turning pro.
Among the highlights was breaking a US Amateur record that had stood for 103 years, set by Bobby Jones, when he became the youngest medalist in the history of the tournament.
At the age of 16, he made his PGA Tour debut at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic, and he impressed, placing T26 in a highly creditable display that belied his years.
Perhaps given his prodigious talent, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when, in December that year, he announced he was skipping college to turn professional with immediate effect.
It didn’t take him long to demonstrate he was ready for the challenge, with eye-catching results including T2 at the 2025 Veritex Bank Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour and T7 later in the season at the circuit’s Utah Championship.
Starting in 2023, Brown’s caddie had been Jack Bethmann, but despite the success they shared, nowadays, he is working alongside Brett Swedberg.
The Minnesota-based caddie had a playing career, having turned professional in 2005 and going on to compete on the Nationwide Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) in 2011, where his best finish was T50 at the Mexico Open.
He is also the former Assistant Men’s Golf Coach at Grand Canyon University, while in 2024, he and his brothers, Derek and Brady, became the owners of Swedberg Golf Academy (formerly the Scott Dirck Golf Academy) in Alexandria, Minnesota.
Swedberg also had experience as a caddie before linking up with Brown, having previously worked alongside Ryan Moore and Adam Schenk.
By the fall of 2025, Swedberg had linked up with Brown, who continued to impress in his debut season as a pro, including a T18 at season finale the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
While Brown’s feats in 2025 weren’t enough to earn a PGA Tour card, he made an early appearance on the circuit in 2026 at The American Express on a sponsor’s exemption.
To say he took his chance would be an understatement, with Brown rubbing shoulders with the likes of World No.1 Scottie Scheffler towards the top of the leaderboard with a round to play.
After the third round, he had praise for his new caddie, too, saying: “Yeah, my caddie, Brett Swedberg, he's awesome. He keeps me level while he's on the bag.”
Considering the eye-catching start Brown made in 2026, it seems likely that opinion will only strengthen over time.
