Teen's Major Debut
Miles Russell, 17, makes his U.S. Open debut, bringing prior experience against tour professionals
Miles Russell is 17 years old, ranked No. 1 in American junior golf, and making his first U.S. Open start at Shinnecock Hills. He is not the youngest player to ever compete in the event — that record belongs to Andy Zhang, who played at age 14 in 2012 — but Russell is the youngest player in the 2026 field, according to AP News.
Russell qualified on June 8 at BallenIsles Country Club, shooting 71-67 and surviving a 3-for-2 playoff on what the golf world calls "Golf's Longest Day," CBS Sports reported. His caddie that day was Charlie Woods — son of Tiger Woods and a close friend. For the tournament itself, Russell has swapped him out for his swing coach, Ramon Bescansa, signaling a shift to full business mode.
A Record-Breaking Teen Long Before Shinnecock
Russell was born November 1, 2008, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. At age 15 and one day, he became the youngest player ever to win the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Rolex Junior Player of the Year award, according to the AJGA. That broke a record Tiger Woods had held for 32 years.
He has already played in 12 professional events across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour before this major debut, Fried Egg Golf noted. In April 2024, he became the youngest player ever to make a cut on the Korn Ferry Tour. In March 2026, he tied for 50th at the Puerto Rico Open — his first made cut in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event.
Two 17-Year-Olds, One Rivalry, Same Qualifier Site
Russell is not the only teenage first-timer in the field. Giuseppe Puebla, ranked No. 2 in the AJGA, also qualified through BallenIsles and is the only other 17-year-old in the 2026 U.S. Open, AP News reported. Both are among 20 amateurs in the field — the most since 2018, according to Fried Egg Golf.
The teenage rivalry adds another layer. Russell and Charlie Woods are both committed to Florida State. Puebla and fellow 18-year-old qualifier Jackson Ormond are headed to the University of Florida, CBS Sports noted. The Sunshine State college battle will play out at Shinnecock Hills before these players ever set foot on a college campus.
Russell Sees 'Boring' Golf — and Wants to Learn It
Russell has a sharp eye for what separates pros from juniors. He told AP News that top players often look uninspiring: "You watch them play and you're, like, 'Man, this guy plays pretty boring.' And at the end of the round... he shoots like 65. It's just so kind of ho-hum." He says he wants to master that same controlled style.
His first-round playing partner, Padraig Harrington, is 54 years old — a 37-year age gap. Harrington won his last two majors in 2008, the year Russell was born. Analysts at Fried Egg Golf warn that Shinnecock's brutal setup, where the winning score in 2018 was 1-over par, favors exactly the "boring" veteran approach Russell described — not aggressive junior play.
A Million-Dollar Amateur in a $22.5 Million Event
Russell competes as an amateur but operates like a pro off the course. His NIL (name, image, and likeness) valuation has reached an estimated $1 million, according to Golf NIL. He and Charlie Woods together are valued at roughly $4 million in NIL deals, both represented by agent Allen Hobbs at Players Group Management.
The total prize purse for the 2026 U.S. Open is a record $22.5 million, Forbes reported. Russell, as an amateur, cannot collect any winnings. But the exposure from competing against the world's best — in front of a record 10,201 entries who tried and failed to qualify — is a different kind of payoff entirely.
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