The ISCO Championship might not have turned out all too well for Jacksonville Beach’s Miles Russell after he failed to make the cut. However, when he started stroke play at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship on July 20, the 17-year-old had flipped the script. He showcased a dominant performance and continued his torrid play in the June 24 quarterfinals, helping him break into the semifinals. 

Russell defeated Washington State University’s Dylan Boenning during their morning quarterfinals match at the Saucon Valley Country Club Old Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. What makes this win even bigger for the 17-year-old, who will go to Florida State University after a year, is the fact that it is his first time reaching the semifinals, having competed in the tournament four times already. 

Besides Russell, Noah Maclauchlan of Moseley, Virginia, has made it to the semifinals after defeating Kuan Zhou of Houston, Texas. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Cooper Moore defeated his fellow New Zealander, Ryan Xie. And finally, Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island, Florida, defeated Sohan Patel of Weston, Florida, to make it to the semifinals. 

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This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

How Many Kiwi Golfers Have Won a Major?

3451

Oops, bogey!

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Now, Mawhinney is supposed to square off against Russell in the semifinals at 2:45 p.m. And, of course, the winners of the semifinals will face off in the 36-hole championship match on July 25. However, a time for the final match has not been decided at the time of writing. 

While the path going forward has been decided, it took quite a showing from Miles Russell to get there. Russell’s win over Boenning was especially dominant since he didn’t lose a single hole to his American opponent. He won the first two holes with a birdie and a par, halved the next five, and then took command of the match by winning Nos. 8 and 9 with birdies. 

Russell, who is ranked 7th amateur in the world, then proceeded to win holes 10 and 13 after scoring birdies, and the final round saw him halve with a birdie. In the end, he was 7-under in 13 holes and didn’t make a bogey. In any case, the other semifinal match will be played between Maclauchlan and Moore, which begins at 2:35 p.m. 

For Russell, things have turned out well. But the same can’t be said about Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie Woods. Although the 17-year-old saw his performance improve in the U.S. Junior Am this year, compared to his prior appearances, he ultimately failed to reach match play. He opened with a 76, then bounced back with a 2-under 70.

This put him at 5-over overall and into a 14-player playoff for the final two match-play spots. However, he was eliminated after making a bogey on the first playoff hole, finishing just short of advancing. His frustration was obvious early during the tournament, as he was even caught on a hot mic cursing and kicking his club after a poor shot during the stroke play rounds.

Having said that, it appears the U.S. Junior Am has turned out completely differently for Charlie Woods and Miles Russell. But fans will continue to observe how Russell progresses in the final moments of the tournament.