Amateur Miles Russell of the United States plays an approach shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club on June 27, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
Miles Russell isn’t old enough to get into the men’s locker room at Detroit Golf Club, but they are making an exception for the 15-year-old whipper-snapper this week. Playing on a sponsor exemption, the AJGA Player of the Year shot 2-over 74 in his PGA Tour debut.
“Today was a great day,” he said. “For it to be the first, definitely wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, but we live, we learn, we move on.”
Asked how the nerves felt on the first tee on a scale of 1-10, Russell called them a 7.
“That’s probably my best drive of the day, should have been nervous all day,” he said.
Russell carded two birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. Known for his short game, Russell ranked No. 145 in Strokes Gained: Around the Green.
But it was a great experience for the talented teen, who recorded a T-20 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour in April, and he’ll have another shot at playing in the big time on Friday.
“Korn Ferry was pretty cool, but I think this is going to one-up it a little bit,” he said. “This is definitely a little better.”
