The future of the PGA Tour will be on display at this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship in the shape of 18-year-old Blades Brown and Luke Clanton.
Brown, the 2024 Rolex Junior Player of the Year from Nashville, Tennessee, has earned an exemption into the tournament. He secured the prestigious American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) award following a remarkable season highlighted by a third-place finish at the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship, tied for third at the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic and a runner-up finish at The Junior PLAYERS Championship.
Brown is the first recipient to accept the tournament’s exemption as a professional rather than a junior golfer. Having turned professional in December 2024 at age 17, his transition to the pro ranks has been marked by rapid success, including earning Special Temporary Membership on the Korn Ferry Tour after accumulating over 237.718 points, the threshold for the No. 100 player on the 2024 Points List, with a runner-up finish at the Veritex Bank Championship and strong subsequent performances. This status, officially accepted after he turned 18 in May, grants him unlimited sponsor exemptions, allowing him to accept the Butterfield Bermuda Championship exemption despite having already used all seven of his allotted PGA Tour sponsor exemptions for the 2025 season.
His professional debut came at The American Express in January 2025, where he carded an 8-under-par 64 in the second round, the third-lowest score by a player under 18 in a PGA Tour event in the past 40 years. He has played in six PGA Tour events and eight Korn Ferry Tour events since his pro debut, with his best finish coming at the Veritex Bank Championship, where he finished tied second.
Clanton looks certain for a big future. In June 2024, he competed in the US Open at Pinehurst, having come through final qualifying at The Bear’s Club in Florida, finishing T-41. The following month, he became the first amateur since 1958 to finish in the top-10 in back-to-back PGA Tour events, finishing in a tie for 10th at the Rocket Mortgage and joint runner-up in the John Deere Classic. He had two more top-ten finishes on the PGA Tour later in the year, with a fifth place at the Wyndham and another runner-up finish at the RSM Classic, which put him inside the top-100 of the world rankings. And all of this while still an amateur.
In February 2025, Clanton made the cut at the Cognizant Classic to secure the final points he needed to earn PGA Tour membership via the PGA Tour University Accelerated programme. The 21-year-old finally turned professional in June and it is surely only a matter of time before he lands his first victory.
While they have the world at their feet, many of the field are still playing for their futures as the season nears its end. This is the penultimate event of the 2025 PGA Tour season and two main cut-off points are highlighted – the top 60 and the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings. Those who find themselves Nos. 51-60 in the season-long race will be awarded a head start in 2026, automatically qualifying for the first two signature events at the AT&T Pebble Beach and Genesis Invitational.
As for those who finish inside the top 100, they will be granted access into full-field events in 2026 along with full-time playing privileges on the PGA Tour.
Ireland’s Seamus Power won this tournament in 2022 but his exemption is coming to an end and he has endured a season to forget and will hope to draw on some positive memories if he is to avoid spending 2026 playing on the Korn Ferry Tour.
One of the stories of 2024 was Matthieu Pavon, who won the Farmers Insurance Open and nearly added the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The Frenchman played some wonderful golf but this season has been a very different story. He has missed nine cuts in 23 starts, is 168th in the FedEx Cup standings and has not managed a single top 40 finish. Were it not for the exemption he secured after his win at Torrey Pines he would be heading back to Europe.
Sahith Theegala is another who will not look back on 2025 with too many fond memories. He has managed just two top-20 finishes in 21 starts and has seen his world ranking plunge to 97 and is 143rd in the FedEx Cup standings. The exemption he gained from his win at 2023 Fortinet Championship is fast running out. It is a huge change in fortunes for a golfer who was widely tipped to make the American Ryder Cup team this year.
Another whose struggles have been a surprise is Tom Kim, whose fall has been drastic. He looked to have found something with a tied 11th at the Sanderson Farms Championship – just his third top 20 of the entire year – but he has plunged to 93rd in the world rankings, having been as high as No. 11 not so long ago.
Last year saw one of the most unlikely champions. Rafael Campos changed his life forever by winning this tournament. He started the week on the cusp of losing his PGA Tour card. He ended it with a full two-year exemption, an invitation to The Masters and the Tournament of Champions and the small matter of a cheque for $1.2m.
Campos was 147th in the FedEx Cup standings when he teed off on the Thursday but moved up to 80th after the win.
Struggling to hold back the tears, he said: “Best week of my life. I can’t wait to call my family.”
The win came after a dreadful season that included 16 missed cuts, including 13 of his past 15 starts and a solitary top-10 finish.
Campos shot a three-under 68 in the final round, including an eagle on the par-five seventh that gave him the lead. He beat Andrew Novak by three shots finishing the week on 19-under 265.
He became the 14th first-time winner on the PGA Tour last season – and the third during the FedEx Cup Fall. He was also only the second Puerto Rican to win on Tour, joining Chi-Chi Rodriguez.
Tournament Winners:
It was first staged in 2019 and was won by Brendon Todd, in 2020 by Brian Gay, in 2021 by Lucas Herbert, in 2022 by Seamus Power, in 2023 by Camillo Villegas and last year by Rafael Campos.
The Course:
Port Royal Bermuda is a breathtaking layout. It measures just 6,842 yards, is a par 71, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr in 1970 and has recently undergone a $14.5m update. It is tree-lined, has several water features, lots of bunkers and is made for low scoring.
Form Guide:
It is only a matter of time before Luke Clanton enjoys his first victory on the PGA Tour and he will surely love this course, which is going to be set up for low scoring.
Prize Money:
Total prize money is $6m with $1.25m going to the winner along with 500 FedEx Cup points.
How to Watch:
Thursday, November 13, Sky Sports Golf,m 6pm; Friday, November 14, Sky Sports Golf, 6pm; Saturday, November 15, Sky Sports Golf, 4pm; Sunday, November 16, Sky Sports Golf, 4pm.
To Win:
Luke Clanton. Terrific prospect
Each Way:
Seamus Power. Now or never
Each Way:
Sahith Theegala. Too good to keep struggling
Five to Follow:
Luke Clanton. Has it all
Seamus Power. Fighting for his future
Sahith Theegala. Looking to turn it around
Blades Brown. The future of the PGA Tour
Matthieu Pavon. What a difference a year makes
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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