Miles Russell has extended his working vacation in the Hamptons by two days.
The 17-year-old Jacksonville Beach native overcame three bogeys on the front nine of the Shinnecock Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., on June 19 (his back nine) and, with a 1-over 71, made the cut in the U.S. Open at 3-over 143.
Russell is tied for 46th. The cut ended up at 4-over.
The day before, Russell became the youngest player in First Coast history to play in a major championship. The previous youngest was David Duval, who qualified for the 1990 U.S. Open at Medinah. Duval also made the cut that week.
“It’s really special to get to play the weekend here … just in any tournament,” Russell said during his post-round news conference. “But making a major, my first one, it’s super-special and I’m looking forward to it.”
Russell had made one cut in five previous starts in PGA Tour events, tying for 50th in March at the Puerto Rico Open.
Miles Russell, Jackson Koivun paired
Five of the 20 amateurs in the field made the cut, led by Ryder Cowan (even-par 140, tied for 11th). Russell and Jackson Koivun are tied, and Marek Fleming and Eric Lee are tied at 4 over.
Russell and Koivun will be paired together for the third round on June 20 and will have a 10:17 a.m tee time. Koivun, who led Auburn to two national championships in the last three years and has won every major individual award a college golfer can get, is first on the World Amateur Rankings. Russell, who has committed to Florida State for the 2027 season, is 11th.
There’s also a local connection between Russell and Koivun: Russell is the defending Junior Players Champion after winning the AJGA event for the second time in three years at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on Aug. 31, 2025,, and Koivun won the individual title in The Hayt, the University of North Florida’s invitational on March 9 at the Sawgrass Country Club,
Cowan and Russell both qualified for the Open from the Florida sectional on June 8 at the BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, making it in a three-for-two playoff.
Only one amateur made the cut last year at Oakmont, Justin Hastings. He eventually tied for 55th.
Miles Russell got off to a quick start
Russell, who shot 72 in the first round, began his day at the 10th hole at Shinnecock and proceeded to shoot 2-under with no bogeys on the course’s second nine. Russell made a birdie putt of 16 feet, 2 inches at No. 12 and another of 14-7 at No. 15.
He also drained a 16-foot par putt at the par-3 11th and got up and down for par on his last three holes on the side after missing each green in regulation.
Russell climbed as high as a tie for 13th on the leaderboard after his second birdie
Miles Russell weathered a tough second nine
After a par at No. 1, Russell bogeyed the par-3 second when he missed the green shot, pitched on and missed a 10-foot par-putt attempt. He missed a 7-foot par attempt at No. 4 after missing the green left, then parred his next two holes, missing birdie attempts of 12 feet.
He then averted a disastrous par-3 seventh. Russell’s tee shot missed the green on the right, and his chip was too strong, and rolled past the pin and into the bunker on the other side of the green. However, he blasted out to less than 3 feet and made the putt for bogey.
He then hit the fairways at Nos. 8 and 9 and safely two-putted for the pars he needed to secure his spot on the weekend.
“I played okay today,” Russell said. “I played really well on the front side and maybe got a little loose there on the back side. Other than that, I feel like it was a great day.”
Miles Russell’s second-round stats
Russell hit nine of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens, and needed 28 putts.
For the tournament, he hit 20 of 28 fairways (71.4 percent) and 23 of 36 greens (63.8 percent), with 61 putts.
Russell beat playing partners Cameron Smith and Padraig Harrington over 36 holes. Smith shot 71―146 and Harrington 74―151. The two combine for three majors, 12 PGA Tour titles and 55 worldwide championships.
Russell said playing with the two major champions enhanced his first two Open rounds.
“It’s been really cool watching Cam and Padraig,” Russell said. “Just the way they go about it. You’re learning things.”
Who did Miles Russell beat at Shinnecock?
Russell’s 36-hole score topped 11 past major champions, five of them past U.S. Open champions: Hideki Matsuayama (4-over), Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed (5-over), Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith (6-over), defending champion J.J. Spaun and Adam Scott (8-over), two-time Open champion Brooks Koepka (10-over), Harrington (11-over) and Graeme McDowell (12-over).
Miles Russell’s PGA Tour results
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell, Jacksonville Beach amateur, makes cut at 2026 US Open
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
