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Miles Russell has been dominating headlines in the golf world over the past four days, thanks to his performance at the 2024 LECOM Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour. The teenager posted four under par rounds and is in contention for a spot in the tournament's Top 20.
Miles Russell's performance at Lakewood National Golf Club has undoubtedly surprised many, but the youngster has shown numerous signs of his quality in recent times.
5 things to know about golf prodigy Miles Russell
In the world of golf, "child prodigies" are not uncommon, but they are still a source of great admiration.
Here are seven things to know about Miles Russell:
1- He hails from Florida
Miles Russell was born in 2009 (15 years old) and resides in Jacksonville, Florida. He was introduced to golf by his father and grandfather at the age of two. His home course is Atlantic Beach Country Club.
2- Has a strong relationship with The Players Championship
Russell has not missed an edition of The Players Championship since he was two years old. He witnessed Tiger Woods' victory in 2013, Rory McIlroy's in 2019 and Scottie Scheffler's historic performance in winning the title in 2023 and successfully defending it in 2024.
But Miles Russell went much further and in 2023 became the youngest player to win The Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
3- Solid junior golf career
His victory at The Junior Players Championship in 2023 was the icing on the cake of Miles Russell's excellent junior golf career. The youngster has won, among others, the 2018 Junior Honda Classic and twice the US Kids World Championship and (2020 and 2021). He was also called up to the Junior Ryder Cup in 2023.
That same year, Russell won the Boys Junior Player of the Year award, presented by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). He became the youngest player to achieve this recognition, surpassing none other than Tiger Woods.
4- He set a record on the Korn Ferry Tour
Russell made his debut on the Korn Ferry Tour just four days ago, thanks to a sponsor's exemption. He did so at the 2024 LECOM Suncoast Classic and quickly wrote his name in tour history.
The youngster made the cut by three strokes after shooting 68 and 66 in the first two rounds. He thus became the youngest player in history to make the cut on the circuit.
5- Exceptional performance at the LECOM Suncoast Classic
The merits of Russell's performance at the 2024 LECOM Suncoast Classic went far beyond just making the cut. Russell carded two rounds of 66 (second and fourth) in addition to carding three eagles, two of them in the second round and one in the third.
Even in his least favored round (the third), Russell showcased flashes of his quality. He started the round at 4 over through 3rd, carding double bogey on the first three holes.
However, he bounced back like a veteran and over the next 15 holes, he made no bogeys and had an eagle and three birdies, finishing the round at 1 under.
