Russell, 15, youngest to make Korn Ferry cut

Source: ESPN.com

LONGWOOD, Fla. -- Miles Russell became the youngest player to make the cut in the 35-year history of the Korn Ferry Tour when the 15-year-old posted a 5-under 66 Friday in the Lecom Suncoast Classic.

Russell opened with a 68 and left little doubt he would be sticking around all four days. He made a pair of eagles on the front nine, one of them on the 282-yard, par-4 fourth hole, and then began the back nine with two straight birdies.

He goes into the weekend six shots behind leader Brandon Crick.

Gipper Finau, the younger brother of PGA Tour star Tony Finau, had the previous record for youngest to make the cut on the developmental circuit, doing so at the 2006 Utah Championship, when he was 16 years, 20 days. Russell is 15 years, 5 months.

Russell is a high school freshman from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, who has been taking online classes since the eighth grade.

The left-hander already is piling up some impressive credentials. He was the American Junior Golf Association player of the year in 2023, which included his seven-shot win in the Junior PGA Championship and becoming the youngest winner of the Junior Players Championship. He won the AJGA award at a younger age than even Tiger Woods did.

Last month he nearly qualified for a PGA Tour event, losing out in a playoff in a Monday qualifier for the Puerto Rico Open.

Guan Tianlang of China remains the youngest to make the cut in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. He was 14 when he made the cut in the 2013 Masters, playing as the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion.