He’s not allowed to drive a car, but driving a golf ball isn’t an issue.
Miles Russell, a freshman at a high school in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, achieved a historic milestone at a professional golf tournament this past weekend.
Russell, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, impressed everyone with his outstanding performance in the first two rounds of the LECOM Suncoast Classic. He shot a remarkable 68 and 66, securing his place three strokes inside the 36-hole cut line. At just 15 years, 5 months, and 18 days old, Russell made history by becoming the youngest player to make a cut on the Korn Ferry Tour. This achievement surpassed Gipper Finau’s record at the 2006 Utah Championship.
The Korn Ferry Tour serves as a developmental tour for the PGA Tour, providing a platform for professional golfers who are either aspiring to reach the PGA Tour or have previously fallen short in accumulating enough FedEx Cup points to maintain their position at the highest level of the sport.
Russell, who proceeded to record a 1-under 70 in the third round and a 5-under 66 in the final round at Lakewood National Golf Club’s Commander course, concluded T20 at 14-under 270.
He holds the distinction of being the youngest player on record (since 1983) to achieve a top-25 finish on the PGA TOUR or Korn Ferry Tour.
It was an amazing week. It was so much fun,” Russell shared, as reported by the PGA Tour. “Being my first one, you might get some strange looks, like, ‘Who’s the young one on the range?’ But, everyone was really friendly and supportive.”
“I just try to go with the flow and handle things as they come, and I’m just trying to keep calm. I managed to hit some great shots at the perfect times.”
Russell’s top-25 finish secures his qualification for the Veritex Bank Championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex next week.
Phil Mickelson, a fellow left-handed golfer, was one of the many individuals who acknowledged Russell’s impressive performance on social media during the weekend.
Miles Russell, a talented 15-year-old southpaw golfer, successfully made the cut in the recent Korn Ferry event. It’s truly impressive to witness a young left-handed player excelling in golf,” he shared on X.
Russell, the highest-ranked junior in the AJGA and the winner of both the Junior Players and Junior PGA Championship, will not be able to join the Korn Ferry Tour on a full-time basis for another three years.
According to Russell, “When I perform at my best, I believe I can compete with some of the top professionals. This week, I played exceptionally well, and I believe it demonstrated my potential to some extent. Regardless, playing well is always a positive outcome, and it certainly boosts my confidence to finish where we are today.”
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