Miles Russell shatters records in Korn Ferry Tour and professional golf debut
April 21, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Miles Russell
The 15-year-old became the youngest player ever to make the cut on the KFT and carded a top 25 finish with a Sunday surge
One week after Neal Shipley captured the national headlines as the low amateur at the Masters Tournament, 15-year-old Miles Russell of Jacksonville, Fla., continued to break records in his storied junior career.
Russell became the youngest player ever to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour this week, shooting rounds of 68-66-70-66 to finish 14-under and T19 at the LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club, the commander course, in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Russell jumped 26 spots up the leaderboard with his final round of 5-under 66, which included seven birdies in a ten-hole stretch. At one point on Sunday, he was T3 and just three shots off the lead.
He earned his spot in the field on a sponsor exemption, roughly four hours away from his hometown, Jacksonville. Due to his play this week, he has earned a spot in next week's KFT event. He is also the youngest player to ever finish top 25 in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event.
Last fall, Russell surpassed Tiger Woods as the youngest AJGA Boys Junior Player of the Year, and he almost Monday qualified for the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open last month. He lost in a playoff for the final spot in the field.
7 birdies in the last 10 holes 😳
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 21, 2024
Miles Russell moves into T3 at the LECOM Suncoast Classic. pic.twitter.com/jlYUIuSQOn
Russell was named AJGA Boys Division Player of the Year one day after his 15th birthday. Woods was previously the youngest player at 15 years, 10 months, and 2 days when he was honored in 1991. Both Russell and Woods are the only male players to win the award at age 15.
To start the tournament in the first round, Russell started on the tenth hole and notched birdies on hole Nos. 10, 12, 13, 14. He carded one more birdie on the day at the par-4 No. 4. The 2023 AGJA Player of the Year would make just two bogeys, both on his back nine.
"I don’t know what to expect, but I’d love to make the cut and who knows, maybe have a good weekend and see where it puts me,” Russell told the PGA Tour this week.
Russell’s 2023 highlights:
- First-Team Rolex Junior All-American
- Won the Boy’s Junior PGA Championship
- Won the Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex
- Won the TaylorMade TP5 Junior All-Star
- Won the Moon Golf Junior All-Star
- Runner-up, Team TaylorMade Invitational
- T3, Scott Robertson Memorial
- Member of the AJGA Junior All-Star Team
- Member of the United States Junior Ryder Cup Team
- Member of the Wyndham Cup East Team
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