A 15-year-old will be making his PGA Tour debut this month.
Miles Russell will compete in his first tour event when he joins the playing field at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on June 27-30 at Detroit Golf Club, the tournament announced Monday.
already among the most decorated junior golfers in the country, the teen from Jacksonville, Florida received a sponsor exemption to play in the tournament. Even though he is a freshman in high school, he became the youngest player to make the cut in the Korn Ferry Tour, when he finished 20th in the LECOM Suncoast Classic in April.
In 2023, he as named the American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year, becoming the youngest player to win the award after Tiger Woods held the record.
Last year, he also won the Junior PGA Championship and the Junior Players Championship, and he earned a spot on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team.
‘I am thankful to Rocket Mortgage for giving me the opportunity to make my PGA TOUR debut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic,’ Russell said in a statement. ‘Ever since I first started playing golf, my dream has been to compete on the PGA TOUR and test my game against the best players, and I’m looking forward to making the most of the experience later this month.’
Even though he’ll be in the tournament, he’ll need a ride to get there. Russell’s father is scheduled to drive his son in the courtesy car to the club during the tournament, Rocket Mortgage Classic director Jason Langwell said.
Youngest golfers in PGA Tour history
It may sound ridiculous for a 15-year-old to be playing among the best golfers in the world, but it isn’t uncommon.
Russell will actually be the third teenager to debut on the PGA Tour this year, along with Kris Kim and Blades Brown, who are both 16. Kim also became the fifth-youngest player to make the cut in a PGA Tour event at THE CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May, and a week later, Brown finished tied-26th in the Myrtle Beach Classic.
The youngest player to ever play in the PGA Tour is Michelle Wie West, who played in the 2004 Sony Open at the age of 14 years, three months and four days, while she was also the fourth woman to play a PGA Tour event. Other 14-year-olds to play on the tour include Lorens Chan in 2009, Andy Zhang in 2012 and Guan Tianlang in 2013.
Russell will be the fifth 15-year-old to play in the PGA Tour, along with Bob Pasanik in 1957, Tadd Fujikawa in 2006, John Oda in 2012 and Oliver Betschart in 2023.