Miles Russell eagles the 72nd hole to punctuate a dominating performance in Junior PGA
Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach eagled the par-5 18th hole of the Hot Springs (Ark.) Country Club Arlington Course on Friday during the Junior PGA Championship, gouging a bunker shot from a plugged lie.
"I just kind of chopped at it ... it ran on up to the green and hit the flag and went in," he said.
At that point, he was just showing off — because he could have made a double-digit score on the final hole and still won the tournament.
Russell's eagle, his third of the week and his second at the closing hole of the Arlington Course gave him a 67 and a seven-shot victory over Jackson Byrd of St. Simons Island (67) at 18-under-par 266.
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Russell shot 67 or better in all four rounds.
“It’s what you practice for all year,” Russell told pga.com. “[The Junior PGA Championship] is a great tournament and I’m proud to be the winner of it. I hit my irons and wedges pretty darn good and made putts when I needed to.”
Russell and Byrd earned spots on the Junior Ryder Cup team with their finishes, with Byrd winning a playoff with U.S. Junior Am semifinalist Billy Davis for the team spot after the two tied for second.
The Junior Ryder Cup will be Sept. 26-28 at Golf Nazionale and the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, wrapping up a day before the U.S. and Europe begin the Ryder Cup.
Russell, 14, who plays on the Providence High golf team, had two birdies and two bogeys through eight holes in the final round before he birdied Nos. 8 and 9, parred seven in a row, and finished with a flourish at the last.
Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island (68) tied for 10th at 6-under.
Russell is the second First Coast resident in a row to win the Junior PGA. Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville won the girls division last year. Russell is the third area player to win the Junior PGA, following Schroeder and Bubba Dickerson of Fernandina Beach (997, 1998).
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach wins Junior PGA by seven shots
