Russell Advances to U.S. Junior Amateur Round of 32
In a dramatic finish at the U.S. Junior Amateur, golfer Russell secured his spot in the Round of 32, overcoming a challenging situation reminiscent of his experience at the North and South Amateur last month. “Coming down the stretch there… I was in a very similar situation at the North and South Amateur,” Russell stated, reflecting on his strategy to aim for a birdie on the final holes.He will next face Lucas Latimer, a freshman from mary Hardin-Baylor and one of nine Texans to qualify for match play.
The U.S. Junior Amateur has a strong history of producing notable champions, with Texas-based players claiming eight of the last 25 titles.Prominent winners from the state include Jordan Spieth (twice), Scottie Scheffler, and Will Zalatoris.
Wednesday saw other Texas golfers achieve success in early matches. Henry Guan, a reclassified 2025 recruit committed to Oklahoma State, defeated medalist Mason Howell, a Georgia commit, by a 1-up margin. This victory means Matthew Rosenfeld remains the last medalist to win the U.S. Junior trophy, a feat he accomplished in 2000. Guan is set to compete against 15-year-old Chase Bauer from Gotha, Florida, in the Round of 32. Bauer, a 2028 recruit, caused an upset by defeating defending champion Trevor Gutschewski, an incoming Florida freshman, with a 3-and-1 victory. Bauer’s recent performance includes winning a Florida Junior Tour major at the Gators’ home course in January.
Luke Colton, a Vanderbilt commit ranked 25th in the World amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), initially held a 3-up lead through three holes. Though, Jace Benson mounted a comeback to tie the match after 13 holes. Colton ultimately secured a 2-up win and will face fellow Texan Shiv Parmar, a Texas A&M signee, in the upcoming round.
Tyler Watts, another top-50 amateur in the field, dominated his match against Indonesia’s Rayhan abdul Latief, who is ranked 118th in WAGR, winning 8 and 7. Watts has been in strong form this summer, with a record-breaking win at the Sunnehanna Amateur, a top-10 finish at the Northeast Amateur, and a runner-up position at the North and South Amateur. Watts, a 2026 commit for Tennessee, was the runner-up to Gutschewski in last year’s U.S.Junior.
The most decisive victory of the day belonged to Ronin Banerjee, a highly sought-after 2027 recruit from Irvine, California. Banerjee tied the U.S. Junior’s 18-hole match record with a commanding 9-and-8 win over Alejandro Caraballo. This marks the seventh time this result has occurred in the championship’s history and the first since 1977.
In another match, cameron Kuchar, son of PGA Tour player Matt Kuchar, led Kailer Stone 1 up after eight holes but ultimately lost the match 2 and 1.
