Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach is playing for the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur title after pulling off a clutch 12-foot downhill birdie putt on No. 17 yesterday to beat Tyler Mawhinney 2 and 1. The championship match is set for Saturday, July 25, at Saucon Valley Golf and Country Club Old Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, against Noah Maclauchlan, and it’s going to be a 36-hole marathon.
That Semifinal Was a Championship Bout Nobody Could Call
The Golf Channel’s Emilia Doran called the semifinal between Russell and Tyler Mawhinney “the championship match,” and honestly, she might be right. This was a heavyweight slugfest with zero give from either player, a true First Coast showdown. They combined for three eagles, 11 birdies, and a flurry of memorable shots raining down on the gentle Pennsylvania landscape in a windless midsummer afternoon and evening. Three holes were halved with birdies, and three others required eagles to win them. Before both players bogeyed No. 16, they were each eight under for the day. Russell closed out nine under after he rolled in that delicate, downhill 12-foot birdie putt at No. 17. Mawhinney barely missed his own birdie from 10 feet on the low side. Russell even had a quick start, but Mawhinney answered right back.
Russell’s Game Is Locked In, But This Final Is Pure Match Play Chaos
Russell kept his cool through what he called a “long day, but a lot of good golf.” He added that “you don’t get many of those back-to-back golf days,” so he’s looking to keep that roll going. He plans on sticking to his game plan: relentlessly hitting fairways and greens, then conjuring short-game magic and clutch putts. We saw that magic on the short par-4 13th when his pitch-in from heavy rough left of the green for an eagle-two gave him his third and final lead of the day. He could have ended it on 16, but missed a putt under 10 feet for his only bogey when the ball circled the drain and spun out. But the final against Noah Maclauchlan is where things get wild. On paper, this thing is a total mismatch. Russell is ranked seventh on the World Amateur Golf Rankings and is headed to ACC power Florida State in 2027. Maclauchlan, from Moseley, Virginia, is going to Liberty and sits way down at No. 2,047th. You’d think it’s a done deal, right? WRONG. This is match play, baby, where anything can happen. Maclauchlan already took down Brayden Jones, who tied Russell for medalist, and Andrew Scortino, the West Junior champion. He’s a total wildcard.
So, Russell has less than 14 hours to recharge for Saturday’s 8 a.m. start. He’s trying to become only the second First Coast native to win this thing since David Duval in 1989. It’s 36 holes, head-to-head, and Maclauchlan has already proven he can pull off the unthinkable. Get ready, because this Junior Amateur final is going to be absolutely wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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