Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach started fast and went on to crack the top five in the first round of U.S. Amateur stroke play qualifying on Aug. 10 at the Philadelphia Country Club.
Russell shot 3-under 67 and is tied for fifth in the clubhouse, two shots behind co-leaders William Lisle (65 at Philadelphia CC) and Finn Koelle (65 at Merion Country Club). Lisle, a native of England, has committed to the University of Texas for 2027 (Russell is committed to Florida State) and Koell is a senior at Washington.
Max Herendeen (66 at PCC), a senior at Illinois, is alone in third.
Play was suspended because of darkness at 8:02 p.m. with 41 players on the two courses to return on Aug. 11 to complete their rounds.
Russell birdied his first two holes, bogeyed the fifth, then birdied Nos. 8, 10 and 11 to get into a tie for first at one point. He bogeyed No. 16 and parred his last two holes.
Tyler Mawhinney rallies late
Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island was 3-over through 11 holes at PCC but rebounded to play his last six holes at 1-under, with no more bogeys, and is 2-over 72. Mawhinney was in a tie for 118th when he finished.
The top 64 players after the second round on Aug. 11 will advance to match play at Merion beginning on Aug. 12.
In match-play events with stroke-play qualifying, Russell was the co-medalist at the U.S. Junior Amateur and the medalist at the Western Amateur. He made the championship match in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Saucon Valley before losing to Noah Maclauchlan and got to the semifinals of the Western Amateur before falling to Jay Leng.
Russell was playing in a group of three of the top four players on the World Amateur Rankings. Russell is fourth; No. 3 Tyler Watts shot 69 and No. 1 Preston Stout, an Oklahoma State senior, struggled to a 75 that left him in a tie for 215th.
When do Miles Russell and Tyler Mawhinney play in the second round?
Russell moves to the Philadelphia Country Club and will tee off No. 10 at 7:33 a.m. Mawhinney plays his second round at Merion, with an 8:43 a.m. tee time off No. 10.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell is T5 in first round of U.S. Amateur stroke play
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
