Miles Russell’s final U.S. Open round on June 21 included good and marginal shots, long putts made and short putts missed, and a mix of three birdies and three bogeys that resulted in an even-par 70.
For the 17-year-old Jacksonville Beach native, it capped a week that was special under any circumstances.
He added to it with a heart-rending Father’s Day present to his dad Joe Russell.
Miles Russell, the No. 1-ranked junior golfer in the U.S., parred the 18th hole at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., and at 7-over-par 287, tied for 39th.
That in itself was a good day at the golf course. But Russell added to it when he surprised his father by sending caddie Ramon Bescansa to the ropeline after hitting his second shot to the 18th green, and giving Joe Russell the bag and caddie bib to make the final walk to the final green with his son.
Miles Russell had checked with USGA rules officials before the round to see if it was permissible under the rules, which it was. After he two-putted for par from 28 feet to cap his best 18-hole score of the week, the two fist-bumped and walked off the green with smiles as wide as the fairway.
NBC reported that Joe Russell did not know what his son had planned until Bescansa made a beeline for the rope line and handed over the bag and bib.
“It was pretty cool,” Russell said after the round. “It was kind of a fun Father’s Day gift. Kind of cool since it was my first one [U.S. Open]. Hopefully it’s something he’ll remember for a long time.”
Russell later told golf.com that he got the idea from Steve Wheatcroft, a former PGA Tour player who lives in Jacksonville. Wheatcroft did the same thing with his father at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
“I’m just glad we didn’t three-putt,” Russell told golf.com
Russell called the entire week “a great experience.”
“Just to be here was pretty special and to make the cut was bonus points,” he said. “I didn’t quite have my best stuff the last two days but still really cool.”
Miles Russell was youngest from the First Coast to play in a major
Russell became the youngest player in First Coast history to play in a major championship at the age of 17 years, 7 months. Then he became the second-youngest player to make the U.S. Open cut since World War II, after Beau Hossler in 2012 at the Olympic Club.
Russell was more than a year younger than David Duval when he played in the 1990 U.S. Open at Medinah. Duval also made the cut and tied for 56th.
Miles Russell struck the ball well on first nine
Russell was solid from tee to green on the first eight holes. He hit his first six fairways and five of his first six greens.
But other than a par putt of 17 feet, 2 inches at the par-3 second, he couldn’t buy a putt. Russell had birdie-putt attempts of 22-2 at No. 3, 30-3 at No. 4, 22-8 at No. 7 and 11-11 at No. 8 and missed all of them.
His only birdie on the front came at the par-5 fifth when he hit his second shot in front of the green, chipped on and made a 3-footer.
Russell’s streak of fairways hit ended at No. 9 when his tee shot went left into the high grass. He had to lay up, hit the green from 82 yards and missed a 13-foot par-putt attempt.
A bizarre shot at No. 10 led to a bogey
Russell got a bad break at the par-4 10th hole. After hitting his seventh fairway of the day with a booming drive of 342 yards, he had only 64 yards to an uphill green. Russell’s wedge shot came up a few feet short and the ball rolled back down the hill and topped only 14 yards ahead of where his second shot was.
He put his third shot on the green but missed a 20-foot par-putt attempt.
Russell rebounded with a good tee shot at the par-3 11th, but he missed a birdie attempt of 9-3. He missed his next two fairways, hit his second shot over the green in both cases, but chipped back and made par putts of 8 feet at No. 13 and 6 feet at No. 14.
Russell finally dropped a birdie putt, of 4-8 at the par-4 15th hole after a shot in the fairway and an iron from 122 yards.
Russell then hit his highlight shot of the day. After a layup shot at the par-5 16th, Russell hit 53 yards to the hole. He pitched the ball on and it checked up and nearly went into the hole for eagle. He tapped in for birdie.
Adrenaline perhaps flowing, Russell pounded his tee shot at the par-3 17th hole about 20 yards too long, with the ball sailing over the green. He pitched onto the green but missed a 5-footer for par.
Russell closed his final round out by hitting the fairway at the par-4 18th for the third time in four days, to set up his fourth par at the closing hole for the week.
What were Miles Russell’s U.S. Open stats?
Russell hit 11 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in the final round, and had 29 putts.
For the week, he hit 40 of 56 fairways (71.4 percent) and 44 of 72 greens (61.1 percent) and averaged 30.75 putts per round.
Russell was second in the field in strokes gained off the tee and 24th for the tournament at the time he finished.
What’s next for Miles Russell?
Russell is eligible for the next two USGA national championships, both in eastern Pennsylvania.
He will play in the U.S. Junior Amateur July 20-25 at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., and the U.S. Amateur Aug. 10-16 at the Merion Country Club in Ardmore, Pa. Russell is exempt in both tournaments by making the quarterfinals in each in 2025.
Russell’s performance at the U.S. Open could attract more sponsorship invitations to PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour events this summer. The Open was his 13th start in a professional tournament.
The possibilities for Tour events before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin are the John Deere Classic, the ISCO Championship, the Corales Puntacana Championship, the 3M Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Russell is the defending champion of the AJGA Junior Players Championship on Labor Day weekend at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
(This story has been updated to add new information and to add a photo.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell caps U.S. Open with ‘pretty cool’ Father’s Day present
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
