News Archives: Current News
| DECEMBER 2008 |
Prestige Junior Championships @ PGA National - Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
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The weather was awesome, right around 70°F all week. Russell was excited to see his golf friends and play in shorts again. 3 days of 18 holes on the Haig course at PGA National. Russell plays the 9-10 division as a 10.
Round 1: Russell started off with a bogey on 1 and 2, pared the 3rd then landed in double trouble on the 4th. The 5th hole was originally supposed to be a 115yd par-3, but the organizers had a hole in one contest in place from the 151 yd marker. All players were to play the 5th from that longer yardage and a hole in one wins a $10,000 dollar scholarship certificate. The contest was good for all three tournament days. Russell had a string of pars on 5, 6 & 7 before bogeying 8 and 9 to make the turn at 42. His bad luck got worse with two more on 10 and 11. A perfect approach on 12 led to his first Birdie. Russell hit some great shots coming home and finished the round with an 82 tied for 10th.
Round 2: The weather was beautiful in the mid 70's with a little wind. Russell played pretty much the same as round 1. He bettered his front & back nine scores by 1 stroke each. Russell moved up with an 80 to T6.
Round 3: The weather took a turn for the worse today… umbrella up, umbrella down once or twice a hole and the wind was blowing pretty good. You could see the rain approaching down the fairway, pour for a few seconds then move on. Russell played good on the front, but like the two previous days, nothing seemed to go in the hole. He finished the front at 41. A chip-in birdie on 10 and a par on 11, it looked like his round was turning around. The par-5 12th was dead up wind and everyone's tee shots were 30 to 40 yards behind what they were the last two days. Russell yanked his second into the left pond resulting in a penalty shot and a double bogey on the hole. With the heavy wind and rain, a 6 was a good score on the par-5 12th Sunday. Russell played awesome coming in with 5 pars on the last 6 holes. He finished the Tournament 242 in solo 6th.
Congratulations to 9-10 Champion Philip Barbaree for three terrific rounds in the seventies and Russell's friend Sam Horsfield for a play-off win in the boys 11-12 division.
No hole in ones were made on the 5th… maybe next year someone will get lucky.
Monday December 1st. The whole family took a break from golf and went to Universal Studio's in Orlando. No lines made for a great day of site-seeing and Roller coastering.
| OCTOBER 2008 |
USKG PGA Golf Club Invitational - Port St. Lucie, Florida
52 boys made up Russell's 10 year old division at the USKG PGA Golf Club Invitational at Port St. Lucie, Florida. Rainy conditions overnight and high winds made the Sunday first round very difficult to navigate the course. Everyone agreed that Wanamaker Course at PGA Village was playing considerably longer than the 5000 yards that was posted. Lift, clean & place was in effect all weekend due to the wet conditions
Russell played well in the first round, but didn't get going until the back nine. The Bermuda greens are very different than what he is used to here in the Midwest. Russell carded an 82 in round 1 putting him in a tie for 11th overall.
With more Rain in the morning on Monday and 20+ mph winds, conditions were very similar to Sunday. Russell got a much better start on the front finishing with 38 (+2). He played excellent golf on the back hitting some of the best golf shots he's hit all year. With 14 of 18 greens in regulation, Russell finished the day at 77 (+5) moving past two groups in front for solo 8th overall.
Congratulations to his friend Philip Barbaree for two outstanding rounds of 75 -68.
Philip also got his first Tournament Hole-In-One on the 105 yd par-3 6th in round 2.
Cantigny Youth Links "Ryder Cup" - Wheaton, Illinois
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The Cantigny Youth Links held their second annual "Ryder Cup" event today. The top 24 players from a year long point system were picked for two 12 man teams. There were 3 rounds consisting of alternate shot, best ball & singles. Two hole-in-ones were made during the matches on the 2nd and 3rd holes. Congrats to Will and Drew for their great shots. All the kids ended up being winners today, as they all played excellent matches and enjoyed playing in this annual team event.
| Alternate Shot | Best Ball | Singles | Total |
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| Red Team 3-1/2 |
Red Team 3-1/2 |
Red Team 6-1/2 |
Red Team 13-1/2 |
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| Blue Team 2-1/2 |
Blue Team 2-1/2 |
Blue Team 5-1/2 |
Blue Team 10-1/2 |
| AUGUST 2008 |
Russell wins his 50th!
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AUG 13, 2008 - Russell wins his 50th stroke play event today at the Illinois Junior Golf Association's YDP 10-11 Invitational.Top finishers from the 10 event season were invited to play in today's event. The season finale Invitational was held at the Geneva Golf club in Geneva, Illinois. Two laps were made around the challenging 9 hole course designed by James Foulis and built in 1900. The club was built as a members only course, and remains one today. Russell played great hitting fairways, greens and showing off his short game skills when they were needed. He finished the day at 37-41 (78) to win by two on the demanding 5,000 yd course.
| JULY 2008 |
U.S. Kids Golf World Championships - Pinehurst, N.C.
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Russell's competition course was the Dan Maples design at the Little River Resort in Carthage N.C. The course was in incredible shape, but the heat and humidity were the biggest battle. Temps soared into the high 90's with 100% humidity. Plenty of water was needed to survive the brutal conditions. There were 138 kids entered in Russell's 10 year old division playing 5,267 yds. This is the second year that Russell is playing 18 holes for three days of competition.
Round 1 - Russell started off hole #10 at 7:40 with bogey, double, bogey on the first three holes, then came back with a long birdie putt on the par-3 13th, another birdie on the 15th and finished 17 and 18 with two more bogeys. The front nine was much better with a birdie on the par-5 3rd, a bogey on 5 & 9 finishing the first round carding a 77. It was a great comeback to finish at +5 after starting the first 3 at +4.
Round 2 - Russell started off a little better than the first round. He doubled the par-5 11th for the second day in a row, then had a string of pars that lasted the next 9 holes. Russell hit a beautiful 6 iron into the par-5 3rd to three feet getting him back to +1 thru 12. The long par-4 5th was just too long for him to get home in regulation leading to a bogie 5. He pars 6, 7 & 8, bogeys the long par-5 9th to finish the day at +3 (75). Russell was paired with Drew from Louisiana, the two boys played great together and had tons of fun going toe to toe all day long.
Round 3 - The final round was looking good with a birdie on the par-3 second. A bogey on the long par-4 5th gets Russell back to even thru 5. With pars on 6 & 7 and bogeys on 8 & 9, he makes the turn at +2. Fatigue and heat exhaustion are starting to take their toll. Russell starts the back with 4 consecutive bogeys, but he bounces back with par on the 14th. A great approach leads to a birdie on 15 then an unfortunate hop leads to a double on 16. Back to back bogeys on 17 & 18 lead to a third round of 81, for a three day total of 233 and 37th overall.
Russell hit some terrific shots this week but had some bad luck as well, overall it was a fun trip and he can't wait until next year. Hopefully the weather will be a little more comfortable. Congratulations to Huachuang Zhang from China with an incredible 69-68-71.
Callaway Junior Worlds - San Diego, California
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Russell played two good practice rounds relearning the Fountains course at the Welk Resort in Escondido. Last years cut after 54 holes was +10. We hoped he would be able to make the cut as a 10 in the 9-10 division. The yardage is not your typical set-up. There are four par-4's on the front and back with the rest are par-3's, and to make it tougher, the longest par 3's are 172, 169 & 152 yds! Those length par-3's are longer than typical junior tournament yardage. There were 107 kids in Russell's division this year, with the top-36 & ties making the cut.
Round 1 - Russell started off great with a birdie on the 2nd and another on the ninth finishing the front a -2, he got thru "amen corner" at +1 and was back to even thru 15. Russell had a string of bogeys on the last three bringing him home a respectable 3 over (65) tied for 31st.
Round 2 - Russell started the second round a little different than round 1 with bogeys on the first and the second. A few pars and a few bogeys ended the front at +7. Russell struggled hitting greens in regulation and although his short game is excellent, it's wasn't enough to keep pace. he played the though 12th,13th and 14th at level par and bogied the long par 3 15th.he kept his cool paring the 16th and finished the back at +3. Russell was +10 on day two with a total of 10 over 72. His two day total was 137 with the cut line at 132. Russell played very good except for a few bad breaks and had some really terrific shots. we are all very proud of the way Russell kept his cool and never gave up.
After Tournament - Russell took a Surfing Lesson at La Jolla Shores and had loads of fun. He didn't want to get out of the water.
Congratulations to Champion Sahith Theegal
for three terrific rounds of
-3, -1 and even par for a -4 total.
| JUNE 2008 |
USKG World Championship Qualifier - Channahon, Illinois
Russell wins his third consecutive USKG World Qualifier with a score of 39 for the nine hole event. The winner gets an invitation to participate at the World Championships in Pinehurst N.C this August. The second place finisher will also get an invitation, if the winner has already qualified. Russell qualified early with his 3rd place finish in Scotland last month.
The Pepsi Little Peoples
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Russell played in his 5th Pepsi Little Peoples tournament this week in Quincy, Illinois. This was the 35th year of the event with over 600 players in 8 boys and 8 girls divisions. Kids travel from around the world to play in the third largest Junior tournament. It was incredible to see all the damage from the recent flooding on the Mississippi river.
Practice Rounds - Russell hits his 4th hole in One (Unofficial) while hitting multiple practice tee shots on the 152 yd par 3 ninth.
Round 1 - Russell struggled with fairways and greens ,but his short game was spot on for a great round of 37. He finished the day in T2, 3 shots behind Philip Barbaree
Round 2 - Russell worked hard on the range to get his driver straightened out and he ended hitting every fairway and 8 of 9 greens in regulation. He putted well, but none of his birdie attempts dropped in the hole. Russell cards a 38, still tied in 2nd place with Matthew from N.Y. The two boys went to a sudden death playoff for the second place Trophy. Both boys tied the first three holes and hit great shots into the par 5 fourth. Russell chips short leaving himself a 12 foot birdie putt. Matthew has a great chip leaving himself a 3 footer for birdie. Russell takes his time checking his line and drills the left to right 12 footer. Matthew ended up missing his 3 footer on the low side. Both boys hit great shots and Matthew's short game is second to none.
Congratulations go out to Champion Philip Barbaree for two great rounds of 34 and 37. Congratulations also go out to Chandler Shaw from South Africa for hitting a tournament Hole in One on the 6th hole on day one.
2008 World Youth Team Challenge
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The 2nd World Youth Team Challenge took place this past week in Bolingbrook, Illinois. 8 teams including 4 from the USA, 2 Mexico's, Canada and South Africa played 18 holes of alternate and four ball formats over 4 days.
The weather played a big part with winds and rain forecast for the whole event. Team USA East Coast won over Team USA West Coast in a fourth playoff hole. The kids had a chance reacquaint themselves with old friends and made a bunch of new ones too.Some really great golf shots were made by all the players and cheered on by all the spectators. Russell had a great time representing Team USA Midwest and playing in a format not common to Junior Golf.
Congratulations to the IJGC and WYTC Organizers for putting on a friendly and fun event.
| MAY 2008 |
2008 USKG European Championship, Gullane, Scotland
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Golf has been played on the Gullane Links for well over 350 years. As far back as 1650, the weavers of Dirleton played the weavers of Aberlady annually on Old Handsel Monday. However,there was no organized club until early last century, when some local farmers banded together to play some golf. This club became defunct about the end of the feathery period (1848) but was resuscitated in 1859 as the East Lothian Golf Club which still holds meeting today in Gullane.
Russell leaned how to play a completely different game in Scotland than is typically played here in the States. He realized that "Par" is not relative to the difficulty of the course, but instead is closer related to the strength of the wind. 4 club winds were common place and when the wind changed direction it turned the course into a completely different one than you played yesterday. As an example, Russell hit a down wind, down hill 8 iron over the green from 192 yards. On the next hole, uphill, upwind, the same 8 iron struggled to go 65 yards. That's a 135 yard swing with the same club on back to back holes. Many new shots were needed to cope with the raw conditions on the Gullane hill. Russell learned to hit his driver off the deck and putt from 20 yards off the green. Down wind chips and pitches were played at half distance. The wind even effected putts.
Round 1 - Russell is the first to tee off in the 9 year old boys division. The wind was blowing from the east and the temps were in the mid 40's. Snow hats, turtle necks and wind breakers were a must. Russell played a great round of +2 on the front and +2 on the back for a total of 76 and finished the day T2.
Round 2 - With heavy rain over night & thru the mid morning, we figured the second round was going to be tougher than the first, but the rain let up by Russell's 1:00 pm tee time. The wind was still blowing from the east, but the greens were a little more receptive due to the rain. Today was going to be a day to score. Russell started the front similar to round 1 with a score of +2. A birdie on the 13th took him back to +1 thru 13. The 14th hole is a uphill dog leg left with a left to right wind. A good tee shot is over the thick left rough, landing in the left fringe and then letting the ball roll thru the fairway to the right rough. Well, Russell pulled his tee shot a little too far left and found the thick rough. 4 swings later, he managed to get his ball back into play and made an 8 on the par 4. He handled the mistake very well as he knew that everyone would make a similar mistake in the rough or in one of the many deep pot bunkers. He played the 16th, 17th and 18th at level par to finish the day with a 78. Other players in the hunt also had some misfortune and Russell made the final group for day three in third place.
Round 3 - With more heavy rains overnight and a 180 degree change in the wind direction, today the course would play completely different than it had the past two. Light rain was falling for the start of round 3. Russell had trouble getting off the first tee which resulted in a bogey on the first. More trouble and a double on the second, another bogey on the 3rd and the 4th for a +5 start after 4. *ouch* Russell then turned it around and parred his way home with a birdie, bogey exchange on 12 & 13. After the terrible start, for Russell to hang in and finish at +5 was awesome. He ended the day with a 77 and finished T3 for the event.
Total 76 - 78 - 77 : 231 (T3)
After the first practice round, we figured three rounds under 80 would be pretty good. Only 4 boys in the field of 44 scored all three rounds in the 70's.
Congratulations to the Boys 9 Champion Stefan Gnyla.
The Van Horn Cup
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New this year to U.S. Kids Golf was the inaugural Van Horn Cup. The top 2 International's and top 2 Europeans in each division were qualified to participate in a Match play event the following day on the #1 Championship course at Gullane. In Russell's boys 9 division, Stefan Gynla and Marco Penge from England were paired with Russell Matos and Ryan Grider from USA.
The first hole went all square, the Euro boys took the next 3 of four leading 3 up after 5. Russell and Ryan made a move on 7 and by the 11th hole the match was back to all square. Eagles were needed to win the par 5's and birdies on the par 4's. All four boys played some of the best golf we saw all week. You could tell they were much more relaxed than during the regular tournament, taking risks they normally wouldn't in stroke play. Watching Marco unleash his driver was fun to watch. The match was all square thru 17 with one hole to go. all four boys hit great tee shots and all had reached the 18th green in two. Marco stepped up and drilled a 25' putt for Birdie. Ryan had a 10 footer and Russell had a 6 footer to halve the match. Ryan's putt just missed and Russell pulled his 1" left. The Euro Boys won the match on the 18 hole. This event was a big thrill for the boys. It was hard to believe they shot a 65 going 6 under on the back and lost to a 64. The Boys 9 division had the lowest scores of the whole event.
The European team beat the International's 8 to 2.
Russell makes his 3rd hole-in one!
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May 10 2008
Russell scored his 3rd Hole-in-One today. It came on the 5th hole at the Cantigny Youth Links.
Playing 110 yds, Russell took a full swing with his Mizuno 8 iron. The ball came off pure and landed soft 6 feet in front of the hole, it took one little hop and rolled right in.. He backed up the Ace with a even par round of 27 with 14 putts.
This is Russell second Ace in 2008 and 3rd in less than a year.
| APRIL 2008 |
Illinois Junior Classic
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Russell played "up" at the Inaugural Illinois Junior Classic in the 21 man 10-11 division today. Cold temps and high winds made the Saturday practice round very difficult to navigate the course. Cold rain was scheduled today but it held off long enough for all competitors to finish. The tricky greens at the St Andrews Lakewood course got the best of a lot of players. Russell started the day with a string of bogies, but then came to life at the turn. A great tee shot on the 145 yd par 3 11th lead to Russell's only birdie of the day. a few lipped putts, one in the water on 17 and a double on 18 ended the long afternoon. He finished the day at 86 which was good for 4th place overall.
It was fun to see all the local 10 and 11 year old kids that have known each other since they were five or six get to play together in the same division for the first time.... Congratulations to First place winner Trent Wallace for a great round of 79.
Plantation Junior Golf Tour
Russell played his first two PJGT events this spring. His first was the Bettinardi Windy City Classic at Cog Hill. In the boys 8-9, Russell shot rounds of 75 and 81 to win his division and the Weekend Medalist award for 8-11 year olds.
Two weeks later was The Zelocity "Battle at Cantigny". Sundays great weather lowered scores throughout the age divisions. Russell won for the second straight week in the Boys 8-9 division. Russell's two-day score was 152. He also won the Weekend Medalist award for 8-11 year olds.
| FEBRUARY 2008 |
USKG Jekyll Island Cup
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Russell got his first Tournament Ace at the USKG Regional in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Teeing off on the 130 yard par 3 3rd on the Pine Lakes course with his 23° hybrid, he hit a perfect high flying shot over the left edge of the greenside bunker. His ball landed on the green and tracked right at the hole. We knew it was good… and I encouraged it by yelling "go in the hole" a few times and then it dropped. Everyone in the threesome and some onlookers including Russell's grandmother saw it drop in the hole. Everyone went wild. We had to apologize to the group on the 2nd green for making so much noise. One of Russell's buddies said they were on the first green when they heard the roar and he told his dad "I bet that was Russell". When he made the turn, the word had spread thru-out the course and he was congratulated by friends and officials.
He finished the day T2 with a 3 over par 75. Day 2 was rain shortened to 9 holes and it was one of those days where nothing dropped. Russell finished the event in 6th place of 44 players. We were very pleased with his play this week as it was just 2-1/2 weeks ago he had a cast removed due to a fracture of his left wrist from a snow hill mishap.
| DECEMBER 2007 |
The Honda Classic Junior Championships
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This was the inaugural event held at the home of the Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
After a 1:10 minute rain delay, the boys 9-10 18 hole division is ready to play with no caddies allowed. Russell was paired with his good friend Luis. Russell chipped in for Birdie on the 2nd and Luis follows with his own on the third. They swapped the lead numerous times and were tied thru 13 holes. At that time the officials let them know that due to the rain delay, it was going to be a shortened event. However many holes the last group got in before dark would be the total amount of holes for the tourney. The boys finished 16 of the 18 holes scheduled and Luis came home the victor with Russell in second place. They had a lot of fun being paired together for the first time in four years.
The Doral Publix Junior Championships
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Russell played in the boys 8-9 division on the front nine of the Red Course at the Doral Resort in Miami, Florida.
First to go off in the morning 3 of the four boys birdie the first hole par-5. It looks like the start of a good day. With bogeys on 2,3 & 4, Russell keeps his head clear and pars his way home to finish T10 after day one. Jorge Villar from Mexico sits on top the leader board shooting a sizzling 5 under in the first round. That was a treat to watch.
Day 2
Another perfect day in south Florida. Russell has a much better start than yesterday.
-1 thru 5 and looking to gain quite a few spots up the leader board. On the 6th hole par-3, Russell comes up short in the greenside bunker. On his second shot, he airmails the ball 50yds over the green into the water behind it. After an official Ruling, He opts to drop back in the bunker shooting 4. He hits a perfect out scooting passed the hole about 12 feet. Russell stands over his putt and drills it. That was a great double under the circumstances. Russell played good coming home and finished with 37. Thanks to some help from the leaders, Russell moves up three spots to finish 7th.
| NOVEMBER 2007 |
Prestige Junior Championships @ PGA National - Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
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The weather was awesome, right around 80°F all week. Russell was excited to play in shorts.3 days of 18 holes on the Haig course at PGA National. Russell plays the 9-10 division as a 9.
Round 1 - Started out rough with a double on the first and a bogey on the second, but a beautiful tee shot on the par-3 6th lead to a birdie and it looked like things were turning around. Russell finished the front at 41. The 12th hole is long par-5 with three giant bunkers protecting the green. Russell cards a double, but comes back with a birdie on the par-3 13th. Russell finishes the back with a birdie on 18 for a 39 and sits in T6 at 80.
Round 2 - Started off a little better and ended a little better 40-39: 79 still T6 . Russell did get revenge on the 12 with a birdie.
Round 3 - Today was the day… Par, Par, Par, Bogey, Par, …a huge Birdie on the 6th, another par on 7th. Russell is looking good at even par thru 7. A blocked tee shot on 8 leads to a bogey. A pulled tee shot on the 9th gets Russell in jail behind a line of palms and ultimately leads to a triple. *OUCH* that one hurt. Russell kept his cool making the turn and played some great golf and hit some fantastic shots but nothing seemed to go in the hole. A string of bogeys to finish the round dropped him down to 9th overall. Russell was the second highest finishing 9 year old behind Philip Barbaree. Next year, the boys will be at the top of their Division and have a legitimate shot at the title.
| OCTOBER 2007 |
Cantigny Youth Links "Ryder Cup" - Wheaton, Illinois
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The Cantigny Youth Links held the Inaugural "Ryder Cup" event today. The top 24 players from a year long point system were picked for two 12 man teams. The 3 rounds consisting of best ball, alternate shot and singles. it came down to the final singles match to decide the winning team. All the kids ended up being winners today, as they all played excellent matches and had a lot of fun doing it.
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | |||||
| Orange Team | 3 | Orange Team | 6 1/2 | Orange Team | 12 1/2 | ||
| Blue Team | 3 | Blue Team | 5 1/2 | Blue Team | 11 1/2 |
| AUGUST 2007 |
U.S. Kids Golf World Championships - Pinehurst, N.C
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Russell's competition course was the Donald Ross designed #3 course at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst N.C. The course was in incredible shape with Ross's classic turtle shell shaped greens. There were 118 kids entered in Russell's 9 year old division. This is the first year that Russell is playing 18 holes for three days of competition.
Round 1 - Russell started off good with 6 pars, two bogeys and a birdie for a 37 on the front. Russell bogied 11, 12 ,13 & 17 for a 40 on the back with a total of a 77 (+5). Tied for 22nd on the day.
Round 2 - Started off even better than the first round. Russell was even thru 5 then chipped in for birdie on the 6th. He gave one back on the 8th finishing the front at even par 36. Russell then stuffs his approach in the par 5 10th and makes his birdie. He parred his way thru 14, bogeyed 15 & 18 to finish the back at +1 for a total of 73. Russell's outstanding score jumped him to T10 overall.
Round 3 - The final round was looking good with a birdie on the par 5 second. A mishit on the 6th lead to Russell's first double bogey of the tournament. He makes the turn at +3. Russell pars 10, 11 & 12 ,then bogeys the next three. Fatigue and heat exhaustion is starting to take it's toll. Russell bounces back with pars on 16 & 17, then with a shot at reaching the the long par 4 18th in two, Russell's ball hops into the greenside bunker (his first on the tournament) which ultimately lead to his second double of the event. Russell finished his third round at 80 for a three day total of 230 and 16th overall.
New to U.S. Kids this year, the U.S. is divided into 8 regional divisions with Russell in the North Central. The North Central Division includes the following states... OH, KY, IN, MI, IL, WI, MN, MO, IA, NE, SD, and ND. Since Russell was the highest finishing 9 year old in the North Central Division, he has earned an Exemption into next years World Championship.
Congratulations to Terrance Zhang from Orlando, FL on an incredible 68-68-70. All kids who finish in the top 10 daily get a silver plate for their exceptional play, Russell got his top ten plate on day two.
| JULY 2007 |
Callaway Junior Worlds - San Diego, California
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Russell had two good practice rounds learning the very long Executive course at the Welk Resort in Escondido. Last years cut after 54 holes was +9. We hoped he would be able to make the cut as a 9 in the 9-10 division. The yardage is not your typical set-up… there are 4 - par 4's on the front and back with the rest are par 3's. and to make it tougher, the longest par 3's were 172, 169 & 152 yds! That's pretty long for the smaller 9 year olds. There were 110 kids in Russell's division this year, with the top-44 & ties making the cut.
Round 1 - Russell started off with 3 bogies, but finished the front 9 at +4. a string of 6 pars in a row in the middle and went -1 under on the last four, bringing him home a respectable 6 over 68 tied for 36th.
Round 2 - Russell was playing awesome.pared the first two ,lipped out on the third and was at +3 thru 6. the came the seventh.hitting a giant boulder on his tee shot resulted in a triple bogie .he kept his cool paring the 8th and finished the front a +7. Russell was +8 after 12 ,then hit consecutive doubles on the 13th and 14th.once again he displayed his talent finishing the final four holes at -1 under par for a total of 12 over 74. His two day total was 142 with the cut line at 135. Russell played very good except for a few bad breaks and had some really terrific shots.He looks forward to returning next year as a 10 with a better shot for the top the leader board.
Congratulations to Joshua Martin for a spectacular score of -13 for the three day event winning by 11 strokes.
| JUNE 2007 |
Country Youth Classic - Bloomington, Illinois
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Russell came up just short of winning his fourth consecutive title at the CYC. Russell was tied for the lead after day one, with Orion Yamat one stroke back. Orion birdies the first tying the match to Russell's par. Even after two with Russell taking back the lead on the third. Russell maintains his lead thru 5 and then Orion Birdies the 6th to Russell's Bogie. Russell gets his stroke back on the 7th tying the match with two to go. Orion makes a great putt on the 8th to take a one shot lead going to the ninth and final hole. Orion and Russell both par the ninth and Orion wins by one stroke. All-in-all it was great fun to watch these two kids battle it out in the two day tournament. Congratulations also go to Dylan Naidoo from South Africa for his third place finish.
USKG World Championship Qualifier Illinois
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Russell wins his second consecutive USKG World Qualifier with a score of even par 36 for the nine hole event. Although already qualified from his win at Jekyll Island earlier this year, the winner gets an invitation to participate at the World Championships in Pinehurst N.C this August. The second place finisher will also get an invitation, if the winner has already qualified.
Russell shoots and even par 31 on the 1,500 yd Glenview National Nine. Tied for second, Russell loses the play-off to finish third overall in the 12 and under division.
The Pepsi Little Peoples - Quincy, Illinois
The Little Peoples is the 3rd largest jr. tournament in the world. In the 2006 tournament, 785 boys and girls ages 3 through 17 entered, coming from 38 states, 13 countries and four Canadian provinces.
Russell competed in the boys 8-9 div. shooting a first round of 42 tied for 15th …he came back on day 2, shooting a 38 moving up 6 spots to finish T9. Russell was also the highest finishing 8 year old in his 8-9 division.
Special thanks to Nan Ryan for another a great tournament in Quincy.
Prior to Pepsi, Russell has won 4 of 5 events:
- Two IJGA 6-9 Division events winner
- USKG Chicago tour #1 winner
- 11-13 division Village Links Winner
- Qualified as the 2nd seed in an 11-13 division 18 hole match play event
| MAY 27, 2007 |
Russell Cards his First Ace!!!
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Russell scored his first Hole-in-One today. It came on the fourth hole at the Cantigny Youth Links.
Playing 65 yds , Russell took a full swing with his 56° Vokey Wedge. It one hopped and dunked straight into the hole. He backed up the Ace with a even par round of 27 with 13 putts.
| MAY 2007 |
Russell Wins Village Links 11-13 div. - Glen Ellyn, Illinois
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Russell played an 11-13 division 9 hole event at his home course this past weekend.
Russell shot 42 from the 2,800 yd red tees… with 2nd place shooting 43, and 3rd place 45.
Russell sank a terrific par putt on the 454 yd par-5 7th hole to take the lead.
Russell Selected for 2007 Tiger Woods Foundation National Junior Golf Team
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We are proud to announce that Russell will represent the 2007 Tiger Woods Foundation National Junior Golf Team at the Callaway Junior World Junior Golf Championships this July in San Diego, California.
| FEBRUARY 2007 |
U.S. Kids Golf Regional - Jekyll Island, Georgia
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Russell wins the U.S. Kids Golf Jekyll Island Cup at Jekyll Island Georgia this past weekend. The weather was the big story as cold temperatures and windy conditions were present on both tournament days.
Russell carded a birdie and two bogies andwas tied for the lead on dayone with a 1 over par 37.
Day two started out with 3 pars then a
bogey on the 127yd par 3 fourth.
Russell continued to hit fairways and greens with easy tap in putts for par on the remaining 5 holes. Russell finishes with a pair of 37's and wins the Cup by two strokes.
Top three and ties in each division earn exemptions to this years USKG World Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
| DECEMBER 2006 |
The Doral Publix Junior Championships
48 countries and 38 states were represented.
Russell played in the 8-9 division as an 8.
He finished T12 and the 2nd highest finish by an 8 yr. old in his division of 42 players.
Playing the Blue Monster was a real treat and a very good test of skills. This event was caddy free for all the boys’ too. All decisions, yardage, alignment, club selections… etc. were done solely by the players. Caddies were restricted to carrying the bag only.
Back to back doubles on 8 & 9 were Russell's demise. He was playing excellent at +1 thru 7 and got greedy on the par 5 8th. He dunked one in the water for a double. 9th hole, another double with the wind knocking his tee shot in the drink.
http://www.dagagolf.org/tournaments/doral/scores/score2.php
| NOVEMBER 2006 |
Prestige Junior Championships @ PGA National - Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
The weather was very nice… Russell was able to play in shorts.
Day 1 - It seemed like the whole field didn't bring their "A" game in the first round. Russell had some great shots, but just wasn't able to get it together for a good score.
Day 2 - A little better except for back-to-back doubles on the 3rd & 4th holes.
Russell goes 2-under on the last 5 holes to salvage a 39 and a three way tie for 2nd.
Day 3 - Brought some pretty heavy rain showers… umbrellas in and out at least once a hole. Russell was on today… the only glitch was a short approach on the par 5 4th into the greenside bunker. He had a great out leaving himself a ten footer for par… slides the par putt 2 feet past the hole and misses the comeback… with the ball going around the hole twice and hanging on the lip. *ouch* …Russell turns it on going 3-under in the last 5 holes with birdies on all three par 4's for a total of 1-under 35.
Back in the clubhouse… we find that Russell and Jeffery Cunningham are tied for the lead and will go to a play-off.
45 min. later (had to wait for the rest of the field to post) we head back to the first box.
Now the rain is POURING. Russell draws the first tee and procedes to snap hook his driver in the left pond. Jeffery plays a safe tee shot, nice fairway wood and drills a 110yd 4 iron to 4-feet. Russell takes his penalty, hits a good 5-wood to where his driver should have been… hits another 5-wood and then pitches to 18-feet. Russell's on in 5 and he's away. With a severe left-to-right downhill putt… he looks from all angles and nails it… what a putt! Jeffery 2 putts from 4-feet for the win. Russell did all he could do after the penalty and was praised by the gallery for keeping his head on and draining that must make putt.
http://gcjgf.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gcjgf7/event/gcjgf74/contest/21/leaderboard.htm
| AUGUST 2006 |
IPGA 3-skills challenge at the PGA Championship
What an awesome day today… perfect wheather and a gorgious setting on Medinah's 8th hole on the #2 course. Lowest score (in the hole is a zero) being best.
Chipping - The chip was a huge uphill of about 20yds.
Russell scores a 3 & 4, for a 7, the leader is at 5.
Driving - Russell BOMBS all three shots down the middle at 175+ yds,
taking over the lead by 1 point.
Putting - 20-foot uphill… breaking the wrong way to the eye.
Russell scores a 1 & 2, for a 3 total and final score of 12.5…
LJ Kruszewski was in 3rd after driving and left two on the lip for a 2…
and 2nd overall at 13.5
Russell's prize package included:
- 1 dozen Nike Black Balls
- PGA Championship hat
- PGA Championship pin flag, autographed by Justin Leonard
- Lunch in the Champions clubhouse
- A behind the scenes tour of the course, clubhouse, locker rooms, media tent and the hospitality chalet
- Under the Ropes for three holes with Rich Beem and whoever he's playing with
- 1/2 hour on the driving range and then gets to go into the Nike tour Trailer to get fitted for a custom wedge with his initials enraved on it
- Two tickets each day for the ENTIRE event
| JULY 2006 |
U.S. Kids Golf World Championships - Pinehurst, N.C.
Russell's competition course was the Mid-Pines resort about 5-miles east of Pinehurst. The course was incredible with some of the trickiest greens he’s ever seen. The whole course is on the side of a hill, with greens tilted the other way, putts still broke down the hillside… 83 kids in Russell's 8 yr. old division.
Round 1 - birdie, double, bogey, birdie, par, birdie, par, par, par = even.
T6 on the day.
Round 2 - bogey, bogey, par, par, par, bogey, bogey, bogey = +5.
38th on the day, T20 overall.
Round 3 - par, par, par, par, triple, birdie, par, birdie, bogey = +2
21st overall.
Hats off to Billy Spooner from the U.K. for an incredible 33-36-33.
All kids who finish in the top 10 daily get a silver plate for their exceptional play…
Russell got his on day one. All in all, another great experience.
Callaway Junior Worlds - San Diego, California
Russell had two good practice rounds at +4 and +6. Last years cut after 54 holes was +11. We figured he was in pretty good shape to make the cut and play the 3rd day. The yardage is kind of screwy… there are only 4 - par 4's & 14 - par 3's on the course… and to make it tougher, the longest par 3's were 168, 158 & 145 yds! That's pretty long for 7 & 8 yr. olds There were 91 kids in Russell's division this year, with the top-20 & ties making the cut.
Round 1 - Russell started off pretty good, but then had a few troubles finishing the front nine. We don't know what happened next, but the wheels totally came off, finishing +5 on the back for a +9 (167).
Round 2 - Russell was playing awesome. I kept him totaly hydrated by making him take drinks of water before and after every shot. He must have had 10 bottles that day… he finished the front +1 and kept it there thru 14. He lips out on 15 & 16 for bogey… and on 17 for par. He finished the 18th with the most incredible up-and-down i've ever seen: Pulls his tee shot to the concrete path… gets free drop to the grass… has to chip over some small palm trees to a green that slopes away. He lands it on the green and it rolls off to the fringe some 25-feet from the pin… he drains it for a 3, and finishes at +3 for a total of +12.
He had to wait for 4-hrs. for the remaining groups to post… it came down to the last group for Russell to get bumped: cut line 127… Russell 128.
http://jwgc.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/jwgc6/event/jwgc61/contest/19/leaderboard.htm
IPGA regional drive, chip & putt
Russell won his IPGA regional drive, chip & putt compitition. He has made the Finals and will compete at Medinah the Saturday before the PGA Championship.
The IPGA guys said that winners at the finals will get clubhouse and locker room passes, and get to go under the ropes and walk a practice round with a pro.
| JUNE 2006 |
Country Youth Classic - Bloomington, Illinois
Russell won his third consecutive division title.
Playing in the 6-7 division, his main goal was accomplished by breaking the tournament record by 4 strokes… shooting a pair of 29's. He had 13 putts yesterday & 14 today.
It wasn't really fair, as he'll be 8 in 6 days… he won by 16 strokes.
http://www.countryyouthclassic.com/news.html
Village Links Match Play - 11-13 div.
Russell played in his first 18 hole match play event today. At age 7, he played up into the 11-13 division at a local course.
3-up after 9… loses the next 3 straight. All square thru 15, andgoes 1-down at 16.
He came back to tie the match at 18… sending it to extra holes. All square at 19 and is sitting 4 with a 4- footer on 20. His oppenent was sitting 3 in a greenside bunker and HOLED-OUT for the win!
Russell was so steamed. Later he told me, "It was better to lose to a sandy hole-out, than lose by missing a three footer".
The Pepsi Little Peoples - Quincy, Illinois
The Little Peoples is the 3rd largest jr. tournament in the world. In the 2005 tournament, 821 boys and girls aged 3-17 entered, coming from 37 states, 12 countries (including 3 Canadian provinces).
Russell competed in the boys 6-7 div. shooting a first round of 36. …but he came alive on day 2, tying a course record 29… moving up 5 spots to finish 3rd.
All in all it was a great time again in Quincy.
http://www.littlepeoplesgolf.com/division2b2g2006.htm
Since his win in Mississippi, Russell has won 5 more events:
- Two IJGA 7-9 Division events
- An Illinois PGA-sponsored drive, chip & putt Qualifier
(Finals will be at Medinah the sunday before the PGA Championship,
with winners in each division to be treated as VIP's at the PGA) - U.S. Kids World Championship qualifier (by 7 strokes)
- Qualified as the top seed in an 11-13 division 18 hole match play event.
| MAY 2006 |
BFI-Exxon Future Tour Championship - Greenville, Mississippi
Russell came back from 3 down after the 1st day to win by 4 on day 2.
He had 5 big accomplishments this week:
- Putting contest Champion (2nd year in a row)
- 5-7 division Champion
- New single day low score record
- New two day total tournament record
- On the way home, he played an Illinois Junior Golf Assoc. 7-9 division where he played with no help to go even par 36 from 1900 yds and won by 8 strokes
http://www.futuretourchamps.com/SundayTeeTimes2006.htm#BOYS%205-7
| APRIL 2006 |
The Village Links of Glen Ellyn (Home of the Western Open Qualifier)
Russell (age 7) played a 10 & under tournament from the 200 yard markers…
and won by 17 strokes.
Today he played up to the 11-13 division. From the reds (2744 yds), he wins again with a 46. 2nd & 3rd were two 12 yr. olds with a 47 & 48.
Shot of the day - With his ball in the grass on the top of the backside of a fairway bunker, both feet 2-feet below in the bunker. He takes a baseball swing (like hitting a tee-shot) and drills his hybrid about 125 yds to the front of the green!
Where's the video when you need it?
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