SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Miles Russell, age 17, is a contender at the U.S. Open, age 131, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, age 135. During Thursday’s first round, Russell bested, among others, previous Shinny winner Brooks Koepka, age 36; 100-straight major participant Adam Scott, age 45; and three-time major champ Padraig Harrington, one of Russell’s playing partners who, at age 54, is just over three times older than him.
But if it’s perspective we’re after, we should talk with someone who had a good one — Russell’s standard bearer on Thursday.
Age 17.
“It’s pretty crazy.”
The Long Island dude then watched as Russell flung a dart into the par-3 17th hole.
“Another one.”
And there you go. Thursday was crazy. And got crazier. Last week, Russell advanced to this point through a playoff in a final qualifying tournament. Before that, he’d played on the first U.S. national junior team. And he’d been the youngest ever to make a cut on the Korn Ferry Tour. He’s moved to the top 10 in the world amateur golf rankings. But the Shinnecock show may have been his most significant. He’s the youngest player at the U.S. Open, where the direction is to make you feel as if you’ve been Shinnecooked.
But to go with three bogeys and a birdie, he posted 14 pars, which is beautiful in its boringness, which is what you want in this national championship, and has been a method Russell has picked up on. He said he’s watched the pros. He said he’s watched what may seem like watching grass on a putting green grow. “You watch them play and you’re like, man, this guy plays pretty boring, and at the end of the round, you’re seeing the score and he shoots like 65,” Russell said. “You’re like, I did not see you shooting 65 out there, but it’s just so kind of ho-hum and a lot of fairway greens. It’s nothing special.”
But two-over 72s are.
After the morning wave, Russell was just four back of the lead.
“It’s just, I mean, the way you have to play this golf course,” he said. “I feel like just, especially with the wind that we had, you just have to try to hit a lot of greens and putt it close because, I mean, putting in the wind is not easy. Once you get on the greens, it’s still not easy, so you’re just trying to hit a good putt and If it goes in, it’s great, but if it doesn’t, it happens.”
If you’re thinking that Russell says the right things, it’s because he does. On Thursday, he admitted he’s a bit of an old soul. He said he was smiling throughout the round because, well, “it’s hard not to smile when you’re playing in the U.S. Open at 17.” He gave his play an “A” letter grade, but “it could be a few shots better, for sure.” He said there were nerves on 1, but “that’s what you practice for.” Then there’s his pal, Charlie Woods, the son of 15-time major winner Tiger Woods. Both will play on the Florida State University golf team, and at final qualifying, the younger Woods caddied for Russell. Has Charlie reached out?
“No, he’s busy,” Russell laughed.
“He’s got other things going on.”
A day earlier, in a pre-tournament press conference — heady stuff, for sure — Russell said he’d try to make this week “another tournament,” which, again, is what you should say, only one player a few years older thinks Russell did mostly that.
“He played lovely,” Harrington said.
“Two-over par was the worst he could have shot. He hit it dead straight all day. Didn’t really have himself in too much trouble at all. Probably could have been a couple better.”
As for how Russell compared to other prodigies Harrington has played with, Russell would seemingly appreciate the answer.
“Have to wait and see,” Harrington said.
“It’s hard to know in the wind. He played lovely golf, hit it — as I said, looked like he could hit it down a rope. I think he wants narrower fairways, if you ask me. He looked lovely.
“I’ll wait and see another day. He’s a little guy, isn’t he? He’s 17 years of age. Can’t remember what I was doing when I was 17 years of age. Yeah, I’m sure it’s all ahead of him.
“Looked very good. It’s hard to tell in one round of golf in all that wind.”
Friday at 1:14 p.m. off of hole 10, Russell and Harrington, along with their other playing partner, Cameron Smith, will be back, and Russell will undoubtedly embrace it all again. In that pre-tournament presser, he even waxed poetic on why he plays. Golf, he said, is all on him. At home, he said golf is peaceful to him. “Just when I get to go out and play nine holes by myself,” Russell said, “and that’s kind of my favorite thing about the game.”
As Thursday wound down, you spot Russell’s coach, Ramon Bescansa, who’s doubling as his caddie. He played pro golf for a while. He played at the University of North Carolina. He’d been a bit of a young star himself. On Thursday, he said he was happy with how things went with Russell. “He hit the ball great,” Bescansa said. “He hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. Definitely could have made a few more putts, but he putted it nice. He rolled it nice. Just a lot of close balls, and with the wind, it was tough to make putts.”
But you wonder:
Could Bescansa, age 41, have done what Russell did when he was Besansa, age 17?
