Charlie Woods's Hard Work Futile as 15-YO Rival Prodigy Claims the Spotlight Once Again - EssentiallySports

Oct 30, 2024 | 11:15 PM EDT

via Imago

Image Courtesy: IMAGO

via Imago

Image Courtesy: IMAGO

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Is Charlie Woods losing his grip on junior golf dominance to the rising star Miles Russell?

There was a time when Charlie Woods dominated the junior golf world. Yes, was. In 2024, Woods had a rough start, missing the cut at his first U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. He then followed it up with another missed cut at the U.S. Amateur Championship, ending 22-over par. But he found some redemption when his team, The Benjamin Boys Golf Team, took the District Championship just a day before.

Yet, just as Woods Jr. seemed to be putting his struggles behind him, a new twist arrived—courtesy of his rival golfer, Miles Russell. Not only did Russell qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship, where he dominated the tournament, but he’s now stealing the spotlight Woods once held.

How did this happen? Well, it’s a mix of raw talent and smart partnerships. At just 15, Russell is already building his brand, signing NIL deals with big names like TaylorMade Golf. “Identifying and developing the top junior talent in the world has always been a priority for us at TaylorMade. Miles and his family epitomize the type of athlete and human being we are looking to add to Team TaylorMade,” TaylorMade explained in a statement.

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Recently, TaylorMade celebrated Russell by sharing his impressive swing on Instagram, captioning it, “A 15-year-old phenom. 😳 @milesrussellgolf has all the shots in the bag with #TP5x. #TeamTaylorMade.”

A post shared by TaylorMade Golf (@taylormadegolf)

The 15-year-old was also grateful and elated to partner up with a brand like TaylorMade, “I have had a great relationship with the team at TaylorMade for years now and couldn’t be more excited to continue to work with them in the future. TaylorMade has a history of developing the top junior talent in the world to help reach their goals of becoming PGA TOUR and major championship winners. I am looking forward to working with the team to reach those and other goals I have laid out for my career.”

The post featuring Miles Russel left the fans impressed, as it should have and they could not get enough of the young golfer. Let us see what they had to say about his beautiful swing.

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Is Charlie Woods losing his grip on junior golf dominance to the rising star Miles Russell?

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Is it the perfect swing? Well, many think so. Currently ranked No. 12 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, Russell once topped the charts and has bagged three AJGA wins since April 2023. And after seeing his recent form, fans are once again buzzing. One user wrote, “Really enjoy this kid’s approach to the game after seeing him on Horvat’s YouTube vid. Keen to see him hold some trophies in the big league.”

He became the youngest player to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour at 15 years and five months old at the 2024 LECOM Suncoast Classic and also made his PGA Tour debut at his year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. So, to see him holding many trophies seems to be just a matter of time.

More comments praised his skill, with fans saying, “Swing is PURE.” “Great swing,” “That’s a deep bag. 🔥,” and “Ball striking is so pure 👏” And why not? He did break Tiger Woods‘s record as the youngest to win the Junior PLAYERS Championship at the age of 15 months and one day, topping Tiger Woods, who won it at the age of 15 years, 4 months, and two days old. Of course, not everyone’s on the hype train.

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But with highlights like his 14-under shot at the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic.—which earned him a T20 finish and the title of the youngest player since 1983 to finish in the top 25 on the Korn Ferry or PGA Tour—it’s tough to deny his potential. Another fan added with a laugh, “I can do that too—just not on demand. 😂”

So, what do you think of Russell’s swing? Let us know in the comments!

Let the world know your perspective.

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