He played in a marquee grouping Thursday alongside third-ranked Luke Colton and posted his fourth round of 70 or better in five chances at Sage Valley.
“There’s been some good and some bad. I’ve just kind of got to stay patient out there,” he said. “It’s not an easy golf course. I don’t know, go hit a few balls this afternoon and kind of figure stuff out and get ready for tomorrow.”
Some good and some bad usually doesn’t give a player a chance to win – but, as Russell has proven since a pair of US Kids World Championship wins, he’s not the ordinary junior golfer.
Sage Valley is a course that challenges players in a variety of ways, and the Junior Invitational’s list of champions and past participants playing on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf speaks for itself. It’s the type of test that appeals to Russell, because he knows he has to stay dialed from the first tee to the 18th green.
“It’s a difficult golf course,” he said. “You’ve got to do a lot of things well. Especially if something’s not working, now you’ve got to do the other stuff really well. Really, just as long as you keep the ball in play and your iron game is pretty solid. Some of the greens can get tricky if your iron game’s not great. Really, you’ve got to make your four-footers out here.”
One of Russell’s takeaways from his Junior Invitational debut last year was his wish that it could be a four-day event. This year that came true, with the tournament expanding from 54 to 72 holes. That extra round requires that much more focus, and that many more opportunities for the best to separate themselves from the rest.
“I mean, (the course) in such great shape. Greens are awesome, no matter if it’s hot, cold, whatever it is, really just any type of weather,” he said. “It’s just a good test. You’ve got to do everything right. If you do everything well, you’ll play well. But if you don’t, you’re going to struggle.”
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