Miles Russell names coach U.S. Open caddie, not friend Charlie Woods

In his first experience at a major championship, 17-year-old Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach will turn to a familiar hand on his golf bag.

Russell said on June 12, during a teleconference ahead of the U.S. Open next week at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., that swing coach Ramon Bescansa will caddie for him as he becomes the youngest male player from the First Coast to compete in a major championship.

Russell’s friend and future Florida State teammate Charlie Woods caddied for him last week when Russell shot 71-67—138 to qualify in a U.S. Open Sectional at the BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens.

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The Open will begin on June 18.

Ramon Bescansa has caddied at Shinnecock

Russell said the main reason is experience: Bescansa, who has been his swing coach since he was 6 years old, caddied for Ponte Vedra Beach resident and Jacksonville University graduate Russell Knox at the 2018 U.S. Open, the last time it was played at Shinnecock. Knox tied for 12th, his best finish in a major championship.

“Ramon caddied for me at all my big events, whether it was the Rocket [Mortgage, his first PGA Tour start in 2024] or my first Korn Ferry [the 2024 LECOM Suncoast Open, where Russell became the youngest ever to make the cut on that circuit],” Russell said from Shinnecock Hills, where he has already arrived and played a practice round.

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“I think it’s just a comfortability thing,” Russell said. “He’s caddied there before … he caddied for Russell Knox in 2018 so he’s got a little history there. He kind of knows what it could play like and what it could be like, so just having that little bit of insight and knowledge definitely helps.”

Miles Russell praised Charlie Woods for keeping him calm

Russell didn’t discount the benefit of having Charlie Woods caddie for him last week. He said the son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods has become his best friend among fellow junior golfers and said Woods kept him relaxed through several moments of adversity over a long day of 38 holes, two 18-hole rounds and two playoff holes.

“He was great,” Russell said. “We just walked and talked and laughed. We had a bunch of fun and he helped me the most probably just by staying calm, taking my mind off what was going on. That’s a pretty stressful day and if you have somebody on your bag that you don’t want to spend all day with, it’s going to make it that much harder.”

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Russell also said Woods wasn’t shy about talking strategy.

“Every once in a while, he’d talk me out of doing something dumb,” Russell said.

Miles Russell taking a deep dive at Shinnecock

Russell played a practice round on June 11 at Shinnecock Hills and was heading for the historic Long Island course for another day of work.

Only three players have broken par in the last two U.S. Opens at Shinnecock, and Brooks Koepka won in 2018 at 1-over.

“It’s hard,” Russell said. “We played [on June 11], probably the easiest [day]. It was a little soft and not too windy. The fairways are nice and kind of generous … but it’s going to be tough. Fairways are the key. If you can hit fairways, you have to hit your irons well. You have to do everything really well. You have to chip it well and you just have to know where to miss and where not.”

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Russell said he hasn’t scheduled any practice rounds yet but hopes to play with two professional veterans who live on the First Coast with whom he plays at the Atlantic Beach Country Club and Glen Kernan, Jackson Suber and Ben Kohles.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell selects swing coach Ramon Bescansa as U.S. Open caddie