Miles Russell will take part in his first PGA Tour event at this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, aged just 15.
Russell has been shocking golf pros since he was six and will now take part in his first PGA Tour event at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which begins on Thursday in Detroit.
All eyes will be on the teenager, who is ranked the No. 1 junior on the world and broke Tiger Woods‘ record as the youngest to win AJGA Player of the Year, a day after his 15th birthday.
In fact, PGA Tour rookie and mentor, Raul Pereda, observed about the golf prodigy: “We’re looking at a young Tiger Woods right here.” Though he was not telling the world he was about to stun everyone at Augusta in a few years, it is clear there is more to come from a clearly talented youngster.
And now, after receiving a sponsor exemption, where the competition sponsors hand out special invitations, Russell will play alongside some of the best in his first PGA Tour event, including Rickie Fowler, Zach Johnson and Cameron Young.
It follows his jaw-dropping performances on the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour’s developmental tour, where he became the youngest player to make the cut at 15 years, five months and 18 days.
Players younger than 18 are not eligible to join the tour full-time – but Russell is already jumping ahead of the queue with his elite performances.
He did not just qualify for the LECOM Suncoast Classic in April, he registered a top-25 finish which included a five-under 66 in the final round with seven birdies in a 10-hole stretch.
“It was an awesome week. It was a blast,” Russell said afterwards. “Especially for my first one, you may get a couple weird looks, like: ‘Who’s the little kid on the range?’
“But, you know, everybody was so nice and so helpful with everything.
“I just try to kind of go with flow and take it as it comes to me, and I’m trying to just stay cool. I was able to hit some good shots in the right moments.”
3
3
The total purse for the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club stands at $9.2million (£7.27m) and Russell is already outdriving some of his older peers, one of them being Pereda.
“He’s got the nippers, the big flop shots. He’s got the high-and-soft shot, the perfect sound out of the bunker shots,” he added of the Florida native.
“The bump-and-runs, the one-hop-stop. I’ve seen it all with him.
“That kid is a prodigy. How he’s developed as an athlete in such a short period of time that I’ve gotten to know him, I’m amazed.
“I want to be around his life for a long time, not because of what he’s going to do, but how he’s going to carry himself as he does it.”