Miles Russell wins opening U.S. Amateur match, will face Auburn's Billy Davis in second round
Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach cruised in his first U.S. Amateur match on Aug. 13 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
His second-round match could be a lot tougher.
Russell never trailed after a birdie on the second hole and went on to beat Travis Woolf of Fort Worth, Texas 4 and 2. His lead was never less than two holes after taking a three-up edge through four.
Russell, who made the quarterfinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur last month, clinched the match by winning the par-5 16th hole with a par.
Russell, 16, gave away 23 years to Woolf, a former Texas Christian player and assistant coach.
Miles Russell will play Auburn’s Billy Davis
Russell has a past with his second-round opponent, Auburn sophomore Billy Davis. The two were teammates in the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup and Davis finished second to Russell in the Junior PGA that year.
Davis, a Ping All-Southeast player for the Tigers as a freshman, beat Aston Lim of Union City, Calif., 4 and 3 in his first match.
Russell finished solo third in stroke-play qualifying at 4-under 136, with a 66 in the second round. Davis tied for 23rd at 1-over 141.
What is the rest of the U.S. Amateur schedule?
There will be one round on Aug. 13 and two rounds on Aug. 14 and 15, followed by the semifinals on Aug. 16 and the 36-hole championship match on Aug. 17.
How to watch the U.S. Amateur on TV
- Aug. 14: Round of 32, Golf Channel, 7-10 p.m.
- Aug. 15: Quarterfinals, Peacock, 6-7 p.m.; Golf Channel, 7-9 p.m.
- Aug. 16: Semifinals, Golf Channel, 3-6 p.m.
- Aug. 17: Championship match, Golf Channel, 7-10 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell wins first U.S. Amateur match, will face Auburn’s Billy Davis
