Miles Russell and Jackson Koivun Prove the 'Future of Golf' Is Strong at U.S. Open

Miles Russell gave a great answer when I asked him about being labeled "the future of golf." | Erick W. Rasco/ Sports Illustrated

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – In golf, as in life, you never know what the future holds. Saturday at the U.S. Open, Jackson Koivun, 21, and Miles Russell, 17, were billed as the next big things, called “the future of golf” on the television broadcast, despite the commentators knowing golf is as fickle a sport as they come.

For every Tiger Woods there are a thousand Ty Tryons, prodigies billed as the next big thing, only to fail as pros after outstanding amateur careers. We don’t know where Koivun and Russell will ultimately fall on that spectrum, but for one sunny day at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, they proved their talent and perspective put them in a good position to succeed.

Paired together in the third round, Koivun and Russell shot matching 4-over 74s in tough conditions, leaving them near the bottom of the leaderboard and likely out of the race for the top amateur medal. They hit some great shots, made some nice birdies and never let the wheels completely fall off, most impressively after Koivun topped a shot out of a fairway bunker and into the only bit of water on this property on the sixth hole.

Yet, it was how they answered my question in the post-round interview that said the most.

"How does it feel to be called 'the future of golf?'”

“It feels great,” was Koivun’s response. “I’m trying not to think about that. Just taking it one day at a time and let my golf game do the talking, but those are great compliments.” 

“It’s kind of crazy,” Russell said. “I think the main thing is just keep enjoying it because if you’re not enjoying it, you may not have much of a future in it. Just keep doing what we're doing and see where it takes us.”

I pressed Russell. At 17 years, seven months and 11 days old, he’s the second-youngest player since World War II to make the cut at the U.S. Open. The youngest is Beau Hossler, who was a few days younger than Russell when he made the cut, and actually held a share of the lead at one point, in the 2012 U.S. Open. 

Hossler has had a fine PGA Tour career, earning $14,419,500 in prize money, including four second-place finishes. He has never won, however, which was certainly expected after his outstanding amateur career. 

So I followed up on my first question, wanting to dig deeper, to understand how a high schooler playing against pros really feels about those expectations. His answer was astonishing. 

“When people put that label on you as the future of golf, does that put more pressure on you? Give you more confidence? Do you even think about that?”

“No," Russell said. "Golf is a very difficult sport. One day you have it, the next day it's gone, so you just have to kind of block it out and keep doing what you’re doing. Hopefully one day that’s true, but for right now you just never know.”

That kind of perspective will suit both well moving forward. 

After one of the greatest college careers in history, Koivun is turning pro after this U.S. Open. He will make his professional debut in two weeks at the John Deere Classic, where he was T11 last year on a sponsor's invite. He followed with three Top 10s on the PGA Tour. 

Russell tied for 20th place at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lecom Suncoast Classic at 15, becoming the youngest player in KFT history to make a cut. He also made the cut at the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open this year, finishing T50. He’s playing college golf at Florida State with his friend Charlie Woods, Tiger Woods’ son.  

Koivun and Russell aren’t friends, but have met each other before. Russell said Koivan gave him some insights on what college golf is like and how Koivan earned his PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University program. Koivan said Russell is, “a great kid.” 

A 21-year-old calling a 17-year-old a kid. How funny. 

When they walked off 18, a man standing on the ropes yelled, “First off the tee at the 2031 Ryder Cup, Jackson Koivun and Miles Russell.” Koivun will be 26 by then. Russell will be 23. 

Perhaps that man will prove prophetic. The odds say he’s not. These two kids have the right mentality, however, and the future seems bright, though unwritten.

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