Miles Russell will face Noah Maclauchlan in the championship match of the U.S. Junior Amateur at the Saucon Valley Golf and Country Club Old Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 25, starting at 8 a.m.
Miles Russell's victory over Tyler Mawhinney in the semifinals was a heavyweight bout that featured a long day of good golf, with the two players combining for three eagles, 11 birdies, and a flurry of memorable shots. Russell's delicate, downhill 12-foot birdie putt at No. 17 sealed his 2-and-1 victory over Mawhinney.
Russell will attempt to become the second First Coast native to win the U.S. Junior Amateur, following in the footsteps of David Duval of Jacksonville, who won in 1989.
Russell's pitch-in at the short par-4 13th hole to his third and final lead of the day was a pivotal shot that put him ahead to stay. He also had a quick start, making an eagle at the first hole and a birdie at the second.
The championship match seems like a mismatch, with Russell ranked seventh on the World Amateur Golf Rankings and Mclauchlan ranked No. 2,047th. However, match play is a different story, where anything can happen.
Russell had a quick start, making an eagle at the first hole and a birdie at the second. He then birdied the par-4 second from 4 feet for the only two-up lead of the day for either player. Mawhinney responded with a 2-foot putt at No. 3 and an eagle at No. 6 to tie the match.
Russell won No. 7 with a par, but Mawhinney came right back with a 15-foot birdie putt at the eighth to square things again. After the two halved the par-3 ninth with birdies, Mawhinney took his only lead of the day on a short birdie putt at No. 10.
Mawhinney lost his lead at the par-3 11th when he was short of the green, pitched on and missed from 10 feet, setting the stage for Russell's hole-out at the 13th.
Both players beat significant foes in quarterfinals, with Russell routing Dylan Boenning of Washington State 6 and 5, and Mawhinney beating Sohan Patel of Weston, 1-up. Patel eliminated Mawhinney from last year's Junior Amateur by the same 1-up score.
Russell is headed for ACC power Florida State in 2027, while Mclauchlan is going to Liberty. Despite the difference in rankings, Russell is confident in his game plan, saying, "Kind of the same game plan. Play my game and see how it goes."
Russell will have less than 14 hours to recharge before the championship match against Noah Maclauchlan on Saturday, July 25.
Source: Yahoo Sports
