Golf fans are going to want to keep an eye on 15-year-old phenom Miles Russell.
On Friday, Russell became the youngest player to make the cut on the PGA‘s Korn Ferry Tour — the organization’s development tour — breaking an 18-year record.
But the high school freshman didn’t stop there. On Sunday, he closed with a 5-under 66 at the Lecom Suncoast Classic in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., finishing six shots behind winner Tim Widing.
His weekend feats on the course make him the youngest player on record since 1983 to post a top-25 finish on both the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour.
“It was an awesome week. It was a blast,” Russell told reporters afterward. “Especially for my first one, you may get a couple weird looks, like: ‘Who’s the little kid on the range?’ But, you know, everybody was so nice and so helpful with everything.
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“I just try to kind of go with flow and take it as it comes to me, and I’m trying to just stay cool. I was able to hit some good shots in the right moments.”
Miles Russell of the United States looks on from the 17th green during the final round of the LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club Commander on April 21, 2024 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty Images
With the top-25 finish, Russell qualifies for next week’s Veritex Bank Championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Russell, from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., is now the youngest player to make a cut on the Korn Ferry Tour at 15 years, five months and 18 days — surpassing Gipper Finau at the 2006 Utah Championship, PGATour.com reports.
Over the weekend and through multiple rounds, he claimed 17 birdies and three eagles and played four consecutive rounds under par.
Russell, due to his age, is unable to join the Korn Ferry Tour for the next three years (players must be 18 for eligibility) but he can still qualify for tour events if he continues to post top-25 performances.
According to ESPN, Russell is on a hot streak and this week’s accomplishments are spillover from an incredible 2023 season, when he won the Junior PGA Championship by seven shots and became the youngest winner of the Junior Players Championship.
Russell is also the reigning American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year, and won the accolade at a younger age than golf legend Tiger Woods.
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