“I was speechless” – 15-year-old Miles Russell details getting the call from the PGA Tour
Miles Russell hasn't teed off yet at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He will do so shortly after 2:00 pm EST. The 15-year-old-golfer, at that time, will play on the PGA Tour for the first time. It is a monumental occasion for the sport of golf and the young golfer's career.
Russell has been on an upward trajectory for a while now, and it ultimately got the professional tour's attention. The Rocket Mortgage Classic eventually called and invited him to their tournament via sponsor's exemption.
Russell said of that call at his pre-tournament press conference:
"I was pretty excited. I was speechless pretty much at the time. It's always been a dream to play at the highest level and compete with the best players in the world. And I get to do that this week. So really looking forward to it." [01:12]
Miles Russell has played in a Korn Ferry event as well, in which he became the youngest player ever to make the cut. He went on to tie for 20th with a -14 scoreline.
Now, Russell will once again make a huge leap to the next professional level. Still a few years away from the earliest pro turn he could make, this is a big tournament for him. It will be his first real litmus test against some of the world's best golfers.
Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1 who's won six times this season already, won't be in the field. However, top golfers such as Tom Kim, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, Akshay Bhatia and Will Zalatoris will be taking Russell on.
Miles Russell talks about change ahead of PGA Tour debut
Miles Russell is going to be one of the youngest players to play on the PGA Tour in a while once he tees off on June 27. A whirlwind of events has led the young golfer to this point.
He was asked in the aforementioned press conference how much his life had changed in the last few months. The young golfer said that he has become extremely busy. Russell noted that he was fortunate to have a good team around him to keep things quiet, so the only change is really how busy he is.
Being able to play at the pro level at any point is a major milestone. Russell said it was always the goal, but that things have sped up recently.
"This has always been the goal to play at the highest level. So they'll know it just happened a little faster than I was thinking it might. But it's just what happens when you have some good play." [00:45]