Charlie Woods helps Miles Russell qualify for first U.S. Open in dramatic playoff
The son of Tiger Woods carried the bag for close friend Miles Russell as the 17-year-old amateur survived a tense playoff to secure his place at Shinnecock Hills.
Charlie Woods played a key role in helping close friend Miles Russell book his place in next week's U.S. Open after carrying the bag for the teenage amateur during a gruelling 36-hole final qualifier in Florida.
Russell, one of the world's leading amateur golfers, earned his first appearance in America's national championship after surviving a tense playoff to claim the fourth and final qualifying spot.
With Woods – the son of three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods – serving as his caddie, Russell navigated the pressure-packed day with a six-under par total across 36 holes at BallenIsles, before holding his nerve when it mattered most in the playoff.
Russell made birdie on the second extra hole, the par-5 17th, to take the fourth and final spot from the U.S. Open qualifier.
The 17-year-old admitted having a close friend on the bag helped keep the atmosphere relaxed throughout one of the biggest rounds of his young career.
"It kept it so light," Russell said. "It's the first time I've had a buddy on the bag. I really like it, not talking much golf, just having a good time."
Russell, currently ranked 10th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, looked set for a nervy finish after dropping a shot on the opening playoff hole.
However, he recovered to secure his place at Shinnecock Hills and become one of two 17-year-olds to advance through Monday's final qualifying.
Whether Woods will remain on the bag for the U.S. Open itself remains uncertain.
Asked if Charlie would caddie for him again next week, Russell smiled and replied: "We'll see what he's doing. To be determined."
The Florida qualifier was dominated by amateur talent, with three of the four successful players coming from the unpaid ranks.
American Junior Golf Association No. 2-ranked Giuseppe Puebla claimed medalist honours, finishing ahead of Russell, while Ryder Cowan and Ben Silverman also secured spots in the championship field.
Monday's qualifying marathon saw 715 players competing across 10 sites in the United States and Canada for just 43 places at the 126th U.S. Open.
Among the notable names to miss out were former major contenders Tony Finau, Max Homa, Matt Kuchar, Matthieu Pavon, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Luke Clanton.
Finau will not be at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2017.
Russell's breakthrough marks another significant milestone in a rapidly rising amateur career and sets up a potential headline-grabbing appearance at Shinnecock Hills – perhaps with Charlie Woods once again by his side.
U.S. Open Final Qualifying Results
Venue | Qualifiers | Alternates |
|---|---|---|
Lambton Golf & Country Club (Canada) | Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti, Marcelo Rozo, William Mouw, John Parry, Max McGreevy | Matt Wallace (No. 1), Adam Svensson (No. 2) |
Del Paso Country Club (Sacramento, California) | Taylor Montgomery, Eric Lee (a), Matthew Robles (a), Marek Fleming (a) | Kihei Akina (a) (No. 1), Gabriel Salvanera (No. 2) |
Springfield Country Club (Springfield, Ohio) | Neal Shipley, Zac Blair, Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel, Nick Hardy | Brandt Snedeker (No. 1), Maxwell Moldovan (No. 2) |
Emerald Valley Golf Club (Creswell, Oregon) | Greyson Leach* | Playoff in progress |
Woodmont Country Club – North Course (Rockville, Maryland) | Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, Logan Reilly (a), Jake Sollon | Bryan Lee (a) (No. 1), Blades Brown (No. 2) |
BallenIsles Country Club – East Course (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) | Giuseppe Puebla (a), Ben Silverman, Ryder Cowan (a), Miles Russell (a) | Tyler Collet (No. 1), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (No. 2) |
Century Country Club & Golf Club of Purchase (Purchase, New York) | Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Benjamin James, James Nicholas | Matt Jones (No. 1), Andrew Svoboda (No. 2) |
Gaston Country Club (Gastonia, North Carolina) | Jackson Ormond (a), Carl Yuan, Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu, Cole Hammer | Harry Higgs (No. 1), Cristobal Del Solar (No. 2) |
The Lakes Golf & Country Club (Westerville, Ohio) | Davis Thompson, J.B. Holmes, Vaughn Harber (a), Arni Sveinsson (a) | Sam Udovich (a) (No. 1), Braxton Kuntz (No. 2) |
Hawks Ridge Golf Club (Ball Ground, Georgia) | Event suspended – resumes Tuesday morning | TBC |
International Final Qualifiers
Venue | Qualifiers | Alternates |
|---|---|---|
Hino Golf Club – King Course (Japan) | Ryuichi Oiwa, Kaito Onishi, Taihei Sato | Riki Kawamoto (No. 1), Taichi Nabetani (No. 2) |
Walton Heath Golf Club (England) | Nathan Kimsey, Rocco Repetto Taylor, Angel Hidalgo, Filippo Celli, Matthew Jordan, Niklas Norgaard, Ugo Coussaud | Hennie du Plessis (No. 1), Andrew Wilson (No. 2) |
Dallas Athletic Club – Blue & Gold Courses (Texas) | Peter Uihlein, Tom Kim, Cooper Dossey, Manav Shah, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Graeme McDowell, Jimmy Stanger, TK Kim, Caleb Surratt | Chandler Phillips (No. 1), Henrik Norlander (No. 2) |
*Oregon qualifying remained incomplete after darkness suspended a playoff for the final place.
Andy Roberts first joined GolfMagic on a month's work experience back in April 2011.
Andy then assumed the role of GolfMagic Editor in 2015.
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