15-Year-Old Miles Russell Receives First PGA Tour Start After Meteoric Rise Up World Rankings

Teenage sensation Miles Russell is set to make his PGA Tour debut later this year, continuing his rapid rise in the world of golf.

The 15-year-old amateur made history last week by becoming the youngest player to make the cut at a Korn Ferry Tour event – surpassing the previous record set by Gipper Finau in 2006.

Russell, a high school freshman from Jacksonville, Florida, shot stunning rounds of 68 and 66 to make the weekend at the LECOM Suncoast Classic.

He followed that up by carding rounds of 70 and 66 to finish in a tie for 20th at 14-under, also making him the youngest player on record (since 1983) to claim a top-25 finish on the PGA or Korn Ferry Tour. 

Russell will now have the opportunity to test his skills at the highest level after receiving a sponsors exemption to the PGA Tour's Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in November, thanks to his status as the reigning American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Junior Player of the Year.

Last year, Russell broke Tiger Woods' record for the youngest winner of the award.

“I am honored to be receiving an exemption into the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship,” Russell said. 

“I have dreamt of playing on the PGA Tour my entire life and to have that dream coming to fruition later this year is a feeling that I cannot describe. I am grateful to the tournament and the AJGA for their partnership that is allowing me this incredible opportunity.”

Russell's incredible feat on the Korn Ferry Tour last week has also seen him go from being unranked on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to 1738.

According to OWGR guru and popular Twitter account Nosferatu, Russell’s recent finish helped him make a massive jump of over 2500 spots on the rankings. 

The teenager will have another opportunity to rise up the rankings after earning a start at this week’s Veritex Bank Championship in Texas on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Russell, the world’s top-ranked junior golfer, has already won several titles, including the 2018 Junior Honda Classic, back-to-back US Kids World Championship in 2020 and 2021, as well as the prestigious 2023 Junior Players Championship.

And Russel believes his confidence will only improve after “an awesome week” playing with the pros on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“When I play well, I think I can compete with some of the better pros, but this week I played well and I think it kind of showed it a little bit,” Russell said.

“But good play is always good, and definitely confidence-boosting to finish where we're going to finish today.”