Miles Russell is the youngest player in the 2026 U.S. Open field at just 17 years old. A young man who has been driving a car for less than two years teeing it up in a major championship is a tough reality to grasp, and, understandably so, the Florida State commit’s story heading into Shinnecock Hills has been a popular one in the build-up to Thursday’s opening round.
Russell, the No. 1 junior player in the world, opted for a formal press conference on Wednesday ahead of what will be his first start in a major championship. In a rather predictable fashion, he almost immediately made everyone in the golf world feel incredibly old.
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When asked if he had any memory of watching the 2018 U.S. Open, which marked the last time the tournament was held at Shinnecock, he responded with an answer that swiftly put things into perspective.
“Maybe bits and pieces, but that’s probably more from seeing highlights from it. I don’t know. I don’t really remember watching any U.S. Opens when I was that little,” Russell began. “I think my first kind of golf memory from watching it was maybe Spieth in 2015 at the Masters. I think really remembering it was Tiger in 2019.”
Russell isn’t talking about Tiger Woods in the 2019 U.S. Open, where he finished T-21. He’s referring to Woods winning the 2019 Masters.
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Imagine that being your first real memory of watching major championship golf.
It not only shows how incredibly young Russell is, but his comments show how this next generation of players soon to make a name for themselves don’t have much recollection of any happenings before 2020.
That doesn’t mean Russell’s comments don’t make complete and total sense, because they do, given that he was born in 2008, but it doesn’t make it any easier for millennials and boomers out there to grasp with just how quickly time has passed.
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Russell qualified for this week’s U.S. Open after advancing in the final stage of qualifying in a three-man playoff vying for two spots in the field. He had Charlie Woods, Tiger’s son, on the bag as his caddie during the qualifier. Both Woods and Russell have committed to play college golf at Florida State.
In 2024, Russell became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make the cut in a tournament, eventually finishing T-20.
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