DETROIT (AP) — Miles Russell, the 15-year-old from Florida who became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make a cut, has accepted a sponsor exemption to make his PGA Tour debut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
“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,” Russell said Monday. “I’m looking forward to making the most of the experience later this month.”
Rickie Fowler will try to defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic title at the Detroit Golf Club starting June 27.
Russell shot a 5-under 66 in April at the Lecom Suncoast Classic in Longwood, Florida, to make the cut on the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit. The high school freshman from Jacksonville Beach has been taking online classes since the eighth grade.
He was the American Junior Golf Association player of the year in 2023, which included his seven-shot win in the Junior PGA Championship and becoming the youngest winner of the Junior Players Championship.
Russell is expected to return to the Detroit area in July to compete at the U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club.
“He has proved with his many accomplishments at such a young age that he belongs, and we are excited to see Miles compete alongside the world’s best golfers here at Detroit Golf Club,” Rocket Mortgage Classic Executive Director Jason Langwell said.
Earlier this year, the left-hander nearly qualified for a PGA Tour event before losing in a playoff in a Monday qualifier for the Puerto Rico Open.
Guan Tianlang of China is the youngest to make the cut in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. He was 14 when he made the cut in the 2013 Masters, playing as the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
