Tiger Woods’ son Charlie incredibly helped steer fellow 17-year-old and close friend Miles Russell to a place in next week’s 126th US Open at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island in New York.
Russell successfully advanced through a playoff at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens course in Florida.
Russell’s caddie for the qualifier was the son of 15-time major winning Tiger Woods and with both Charlie and Miles believed to be future college teammates.
Russell enters the U.S. Open with a résumé that extends beyond junior golf. He is currently the highest-ranked junior in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and the 10th-ranked amateur overall.
In 2023, he became the youngest winner of the AJGA’s Rolex Boys Player of the Year award, surpassing Tiger Woods. He also won both the Junior PGA Championship and the Junior Players Championship.
TIGER’S SON AS CADDIE ..
Miles Russell, aged just 17, and member last years winning Junior @RyderCupUSA team, qualifies @usopengolf ⭐️
Incredibly Miles had the son of 15-time major champ @TigerWoods son & close friend Charlie serving as his caddie for the 36-hole Florida… pic.twitter.com/7LDoXhQjpa
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) June 9, 2026
At 15, Russell made history on the Korn Ferry Tour by becoming the youngest player on record to make a cut, at 15 years, 5 months, and 18 days. He went on to finish T20 at the 2024 LECOM Suncoast Classic, the youngest player since 1983 to record a top-25 finish on the PGA TOUR or Korn Ferry Tour.
“I just try to kind of go with flow and take it as it comes to me, and I’m trying to just stay cool,” Russell said after an earlier professional start. “I was able to hit some good shots in the right moments.”
Miles and Charlie were team-mates in last year’s winning USA Junior Ryder Cup side while both are understood to be committed to Florida State for 2027.
The PGA Tour’s qualifying roundup said Woods helped Russell navigate the playoff, which also advanced amateur Ryder Cowan to Shinnecock Hills.
Another amateur in Giuseppe Puebla and PGA Tour veteran Ben Silverman led the BallenIsles site as co-medalists.
Russell was among 78 golfers teeing off at BallenIsles, a field that included Matt Kuchar, Luke Clanton, and Matthieu Pavon.
- Copy support thanks to Golf Today.
