Fifteen-year-old Finishes Tied for 20th at Korn Ferry Tour Event in Florida

Miles Russell became the youngest player in the Tour's history to make a cut, then shot a final-round 66 to earn a spot in next week's event.

March 23, 2024; Graniteville, S.C., USA; Miles Russell, of Fla., shares a smile with his caddy after / Katie Goodale, Katie Goodale / USA TODAY

Getting to play in a professional event as a freshman in high school was a nice perk for Miles Russell. Now he is likely to to extend the experience by a week.

Russell, 15, who became the youngest player to make a cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event, shot a final-round 66 on Sunday at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Bradenton, Fla., to shoot up the leaderboard and eventually finish in a tie for 20th place at 14 under par.

A player who finishes among the top 25 in a Korn Ferry event is eligible to play the following week.

With a bogey at the 18th hole at Lakewood National, Russell was tied for 15th when he finished his round.

Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, Russell had hoped to accomplish his stated goal of finishing among the top 25. He shot rounds of 66-66 to make the cut then had a 70 on Saturday before his final-round score enabled him to qualify for the Veritex Bank Championship in Arlington, Texas.

Last year, Russell broke a record held by Tiger Woods when he was youngest player to be named American Junior Golf Association player of the year. He lives in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Phil Mickelson praised his fellow lefty on X (formerly Twitter) for “playing such incredible golf.”

Miles Russell, a 15 year old left handed golfer made the cut in this week’s Korn Ferry event.
This is an amazing accomplishment. It’s great to see a young lefty playing such incredible golf. 👍👍

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) April 21, 2024

Earlier in the week, Russell told reporters that he had been given a sponsor’s exemption to play in the PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship in November.

“I knew it was going to be a good test to see where I am against some of the best,” Russell said after making the cut. “It’s definitely something I’ll remember even when times get hard. I’ll remember it when that happens and go with the flow.”