Charlie Woods, Miles Russell headline invites for the Junior Players Championship
Miles Russell, a Jacksonville Beach resident and the American Junior Golf Association’s top-ranked player, and Charlie Woods have officially earned invitations to the Junior Players Championship Aug. 28-31 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Russell won the Junior Players in 2023 and has gone on to earn AJGA Player of the Year, won the AJGA Tournament of Champions, the Junior PGA and the Sage Valley Invitational. He is competing in his third PGA Tour event this week at the ISCO Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
Russell, 16, verbally committed to play golf at Florida State beginning in the fall of 2027.
The top 58 on the AJGA Rolex Rankings as of July 8 who are age-eligible earned an invitation to the Junior Players, which will be contested for the 19th year.
The AJGA also extended invitations to top international junior players. There are 18 countries and 17 states represented on the invitation list, with players coming from as far away as China, Australia, South Africa, India and 10 European countries.
Woods, the son of two-time Players Champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Tiger Woods, earned his spot by winning the AJGA Team TaylorMade Invitational on May 28 at the Streamsong Resort. He jumped 585 spots on the rankings from 609th to 14th, and is currently 18th.
Other local players invited are Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island (ninth on the AJGA rankings), a Vanderbilt commit who recently made the cut in the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open and has led Fleming Island to two FHSAA state championships in a row, Phillip Dunham of Ponte Vedra Beach (22nd) and Lucas Gimenez of Jacksonville (28th).
Cameron Kuchar, the son of PGA Tour player Matt Kuchar, also earned an invitation. He is 15th on the current AJGA rankings. Defending champion Hamilton Coleman of Augusta, Ga., is ranked 12th. Coleman defeated Blades Brown in a playoff last year.
If Woods and Kuchar commit, they will bring to four the number of sons of past Players Championship winners who have competed in the Junior Players.
When will the Junior Players field be finalized?
Players have until 3 p.m. on July 15 to commit to the Junior Players.
What other sons of Players champions have competed in Junior Players?
Tyler McCumber tied for 31st in the 2009 Junior Players. His father, Mark McCumber, won The Players in 1988.
Dru Love tied for 73rd in the 2010 Junior Players. His father, Davis Love III, won The Players in 1992 and 2003.
