One of the top young prospects in golf is heading to his first major championship at 17 years old.
Miles Russell played his way into the U.S. Open when he emerged from a playoff that decided the last two spots at one of the USGA’s 10 final qualifying sites Monday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Russell and another amateur, Ryder Cowan, outlasted Tyler Collet in a 3-for-2 playoff after the trio tied for third at BallenIsles Country Club’s East Course. Another amateur, Giuseppe Puebla, tied Canada’s Ben Silverman for medalist honors at 7-under-par 137 through 36 holes, and Russell, Cowan and Collet were at 6-under 138.
Russell, who is No. 1 in the American Junior Golf Association rankings and No. 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is headed to Florida State this fall and he had a future teammate carrying his bag Monday — none other than Charlie Woods, the son of Tiger Woods.
“We kept it so light,” Russell said of the partnership, per the PGA Tour. “It is the first time I had a buddy on the bag, and I liked it.”
Russell was doing swimmingly in his first round until he made a triple-bogey 7 on his final hole for a 71. He bounced back in the afternoon with seven birdies, including four straight at Nos. 4-7, en route to a 67. He birdied the par-3 16th to reach 6 under for the day.
“I don’t think it has quite set in yet,” Russell said of making the U.S. Open. “I am pretty speechless at the moment. It is something you dream of and practice for.”
The Florida site was one of 10 in action on Monday, called “Golf’s Longest Day” as professionals and amateurs alike play 36-hole qualifiers in an effort to make the U.S. Open field. Previous qualifiers were played in England, Japan and Dallas. The number of qualifying spots at each course are determined by the depth and strength of the fields.
Max McGreevy, William Mouw and Englishman John Parry were victorious in an 8-for-3 playoff at Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto. England’s Matt Wallace and Canadian Adam Svensson were named first and second alternates from the site, popular among PGA Tour pros for its location ahead of the RBC Canadian Open later this week.
A pair of Argentines, Emiliano Grillo (9-under 131) and Alejandro Tosti (8-under 132), were the top two finishers there. Colombia’s Marcelo Rozo got the third spot at 7-under 133.
Max Homa was part of the 8-for-3 playoff in Toronto but made bogey at the first hole — reportedly lipping out a par putt — to see his day come to a disappointing end.
Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Ben James and James Nicholas qualified from Century Country Club & Golf Club in Purchase, N.Y.
Neal Shipley and Zac Blair were co-medalists at Springfield (Ohio) Country Club, and Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel and Nick Hardy were a shot behind to grab the other three spots. It was Hardy’s sixth time in 12 years successfully qualifying for the U.S. Open at Springfield. Shipley was low amateur at the 2024 U.S. Open.
Davis Thompson, J.B. Holmes and amateurs Vaughn Harber and Arni Sveinsson of Iceland grabbed the four spots from Lakes Golf & Country Club in Westerville, Ohio. Holmes, Harber and Sveinsson won in a 4-for-3 playoff while amateur Sam Udovich settled for first alternate.
Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, amateur Logan Reilly and Jake Sollon advanced from Woodmont Country Club’s North Course in Rockville, Md. Sollon won a 2-for-1 playoff over amateur Bryan Lee.
Amateur Jackson Ormond and China’s Carl Yuan finished atop the leaderboard at Gaston Country Club in Gastonia, N.C. Also coming out of that site are Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu and Cole Hammer.
PGA Tour veteran Chris Kirk, who tied for 12th at the U.S. Open last year, was the medalist with a score of 15-under 129 at Hawks Ridge Golf Club in Ball Ground, Ga. Joining him in the field are Jake Peacock, Keith Mitchell, Robbie Higgins and amateur Chase Kyes.
Two qualifying sites were still in progress in Sacramento, Calif., and Creswell, Ore.
Notable pros who failed to qualify besides Homa include Tony Finau, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Jones of Australia, Webb Simpson, Harry Higgs, Aaron Wise, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas, Denny McCarthy, South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen and Lucas Glover.
The 126th U.S. Open is scheduled for June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
