Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 17

17-Year-Old Miles Russell Makes U.S. Open Debut as 2019 Masters Tops His Earliest Golf Memories

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 17

17-Year-Old Miles Russell Makes U.S. Open Debut as 2019 Masters Tops His Earliest Golf Memories

Q: He's the youngest player to make a Korn Ferry Tour cut, but can Miles Russell's raw talent outshine seasoned pros at a major?

Miles Russell has the talent to impress at Shinnecock, but expecting a 17-year-old amateur to outshine seasoned pros over four U.S. Open rounds is still a reach. The evidence for his upside is strong. Russell is the world’s No. 1 junior, a two-time AJGA Player of the Year, and the youngest ever to make a Korn Ferry Tour cut. He has already shown he can handle pro setups, making a PGA Tour cut at the 2026 Puerto Rico Open and posting a T-15 on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Club Car Championship. His sectional qualifying also showed resilience: he recovered from a triple bogey and a double bogey, then won a playoff to earn his place. People around the game clearly see elite ability. Will Zalatoris has called him the most naturally gifted junior he has seen, and coaches praise his short game and composure. Those traits matter at Shinnecock, where wind, firm greens and rough punish mistakes and reward patience. But this is still the U.S. Open at one of golf’s hardest venues. Shinnecock historically exposes inexperience, and Russell’s own goals are modest: learn, compete and see where his game stands. His recent pro results are promising, not dominant, and his strokes-gained profile suggests he is not yet consistently beating strong professional fields across every category. So the realistic benchmark is not contending to win. If Russell makes the cut or claims low-amateur honors, that would already be a significant statement that his talent is translating faster than usual.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 17

17-year-old Miles Russell arrived at Shinnecock Hills for his first major saying he barely remembers the 2018 U.S. Open and that Tiger Woods' 2019 Masters win is his first clear golf memory.
Wednesday's press conference underscored how young the world No. 1 junior is as he prepares to become the youngest player in the 2026 U.S. Open field.
Russell earned his spot by surviving a 3-man playoff for 2 places in final qualifying, with Charlie Woods caddying for him during the qualifier.
His debut follows another early milestone: in 2024, Russell became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make a cut and finished T-20.