Blaze Brown, the No. 5 Rolex AJGA Ranked 16-year-old player, has partnered with Transcend Capital Advisors on a multi-year NIL (name, image, and likeness) agreement.
While his 2023 season was impressive, 2024 is already off to a hot start for the youngster.
brown tied for 5th place Jones Cup Invitational held at Ocean Forest Golf Club on St. Simons Island, Georgia. He was the only non-college player to make it.
The 2023 Tennessee Boys/Junior Athlete of the Year still has two years left in his high school career at Brentwood Academy in Nashville.
Last August, he became the youngest co-medalist in U.S. Amateur history in stroke play.
Brown’s 8-under 64 in the second round of the tournament was the lowest of the day and broke the record set by Bobby Jones, set in 1920 as an 18-year-old. This was his first U.S. Amateur, and he qualified by qualifying as a co-medalist with 65 wins and 62 losses.
“I’m grateful to be a part of a team with such great people and players,” Brown said in a press release. “Joining Team Kato Transcend will allow me to perform at my best and pursue my dreams. Transcend’s strong support and love for the game will continue to motivate me to improve my game of golf.”
Brown won his third straight Tennessee Division II-AA state title last October by five strokes. He finished with 64 wins and 66 losses for a total of 14 under par, tying the two-day tournament record. Brentwood Academy won the team portion by 12 strokes with help from Brown.
In November, another 64 helped Brown win the Elite Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
But the praise doesn’t end there.
The high school sophomore also won the 2023 AJGA Invitational, Tennessee Junior Amateur, Huntsville.org Junior Invitational and Windham Invitational.
At the Tennessee Junior Am, he broke another scoring record by finishing with a score of 22 under par and 194 after three rounds of play. To top it all off, he was also a low amateur at the Tennessee State Open.
It’s easy to see why Transcend Capital signed the youngster. However, the terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Many people feel that signing a NIL contract at 16 is too young. Paying college athletes has already generated ample debate from traditionalists.
What would a second-year high school student think if he received a salary? True, this is not the first time.
Transcend Capital Advisors also has NIL partnerships with 20-year-old University of Virginia golfer Benjamin James and 17-year-old Jana Wilson. She is the No. 1 junior female athlete in the Rolex AJGA rankings. Former Tennessee Volunteer Caleb Surratt also signed a contract with the company before leaving for Tennessee. Liv golf.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.If you want to know more about golf, please follow us. @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
