Meet Miles Russell, the 17-Year-Old Buddy of Charlie Woods Making His U.S. Open Debut

One of the most intriguing amateurs to watch this week at Shinnecock is Miles Russell, a teenage phenom on the course and a close friend of Charlie Woods.

Charlie Woods, right, caddied for Miles Russell at the U.S. Open Final Qualifying event earlier this month. | THOMAS CORDY/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The packed 156-player field at the 2026 U.S. Open features the biggest stars in the sport. Some are chasing history this weekend while others are staring at the most pivotal four rounds of their careers. But one player in particular could give us a glimpse of the sport’s future.

Miles Russell, 17, is set to make his major debut at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club as one of 20 amateurs in the field—the most at a U.S. Open since 2018. Although he’s never teed off in a major, Russell is no stranger to the spotlight, as he already has played in 12 events as an amateur on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour despite not even being old enough to vote.

Russell is a teenage phenom and has been for a while. Two years ago at the age of 15, Russell tied for 20th place at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lecom Suncoast Classic and became the youngest player in KFT history to make a cut. He’s also just the seventh player to win multiple American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year awards, joining Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, amongst others, on that list.

Russell qualifying for the U.S. Open had no shortage of drama. With his buddy Charlie Woods—the son of Tiger Woods—carrying his bag, Russell rallied back from a triple-bogey 7 on his final hole of the first round at the U.S. Open final qualifier in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and survived a 3-for-2 playoff to earn his way to Shinnecock. 

After tapping in for birdie on the second and final playoff hole, Russell celebrated by giving Woods a big hug on the green.

Miles Russell is going to the U.S. Open!

Huge effort from the 17-year-old in Palm Beach Gardens. pic.twitter.com/j6MIYCtUS6

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 9, 2026

Russell and Woods have been pals as two of the top young golfing prospects in the country. They share a commercial agent and also both committed to play collegiate golf at Florida State, with Woods announcing his decision in February and Russell signing last summer.

Russell is paired with a couple of former major winners in Padraig Harrington and Cameron Smith on Thursday and Friday at Shinnecock. The trio will tee off at 7:19 a.m. ET on Thursday. 

Will Charlie Woods be caddying for Miles Russell at the 2026 U.S. Open?

No, he will not.

Woods kept things light on the course and brought some good luck to Russell at the qualifier in Florida earlier this month, but he didn’t get the call to caddy again. Russell is handing those duties back over to Ramon Bescansa, his golf coach and regular caddie. 

“We just walked and talked and laughed," Russell said of having Woods as his caddy for the 36-hole event. “We had a bunch of fun and he helped me the most probably just by staying calm, taking my mind off what was going on.”

Woods will surely be watching and rooting on his buddy all weekend, but this time he won’t have to carry around his bag.

Why isn’t Charlie Woods playing in the U.S. Open?

Woods did not qualify. He was one of the 10,202 entries to fight for a spot at the U.S. Open this year, but the 17-year-old missed the final qualifying stage by one stroke at an event at Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla. 

That means there won’t be a Woods at the U.S. Open for a second straight year. Tiger Woods, Charlie’s dad, wasn’t exempt for this year’s U.S. Open. Woods is missing all four majors once again in 2026 as he stepped away to seek treatment after being arrested on suspicion of a DUI following a car crash in March.

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