15-year-old Miles Russell shoots final-round 66 on Korn Ferry Tour, makes history, earns spot in next week’s stop

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[PHOTO: Douglas P. DeFelice]

Miles Russell isn’t going anywhere. In fact, his next stop will be in four days.

During a week when most eyes were on Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, the 15-year-old lefty finished off an incredible week with a five-under 66 in the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood Ranch in Florida.

After opening with 68-66-70, Russell finished at 14-under-par total to tie for 20th place. The finish in which he jumped 28 positions on the leaderboard on the final day, gives him an exemption into next week’s Veritex Bank Championship at Rangers Park in Arlington, Texas. He’s the youngest player to finish inside the top 20 on the PGA of Korn Ferry tours, according to records that go back to 1983.

Tim Widing topped Steven Fisk and Patrick Cover in a playoff to earn the victory. The trio shot 21-under-par 264.

“I don’t know what to expect, but I’d love to make the cut and who knows, maybe have a good weekend and see where it puts me,” Russell told PGATour.com on Tuesday.

Playing well before the leaders teed off, Russell opened the final round with three birdies in the first seven holes. After a bogey on the eighth hole, he made four birdies over the next five holes and was tied for third place for a brief moment. He finished with four pars and a bogey on the 18th hole to shoot 66.

“I drove it great today,” Russell told reporters afterward. “I kept that going all the way through the day. Really only hit one bad one there on eight, hit it right, made bogey, but it was a good bogey. My iron play on the back side was the best iron play I had all week.”

In four days Russell recorded three eagles, 17 birdies, seven bogeys and one double-bogey.

Russell, while playing in his first professional event, is no stranger to junior golf circles. He’s the reigning AJGA Player of the Year, won the Junior PGA Championship by seven shots last year and won the Junior Players Championship, shooting a second-round 66 at TPC Sawgrass. He also signed an NIL deal with Transcend Capital Advisors late last year.

The teen had plenty to say about his Korn Ferry Tour experience, and said that his biggest takeaway was, “I was able to hit some good shots in the right moments.”

“Everybody has been so nice, especially for my first one, you may get a couple weird looks like ‘who is the little kid on the range,’ but everybody was so nice and so helpful with everything,” Russell said. “It was an awesome week. It was a blast.”