Miles Russell back at Korn Ferry Tour Lakewood National for LECOM Classic

PGA Tour has two stops this week, at RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island, S.C., and the Dominican Republic

• Miles Russell, 17, returns to the LECOM Suncoast Classic after making the cut last year at age 16.
• The RBC Heritage, featuring top PGA Tour players, tees off this week at Harbour Town Golf Links.
• The Corales Puntacana Championship is also being played this week in the Dominican Republic.

The world found out a year ago at this time about Miles Russell that those in the First Coast golf community already knew: he’s pretty good at golf.

Russell, of Jacksonville Beach, became the youngest player at 15 to ever make the cut at a Korn Ferry Tour event at the LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National near Bradenton. He then went on to tie for 20th and earn a spot in the following week’s event in Arlington, Texas.

Russell returns to Lakewood National beginning on Thursday, playing on a sponsor invitation from the LECOM Classic. He also joins 17-year-old Blades Brown, who turned professional in January.

Russell is still an amateur and is coming off one of his most impressive junior victories, winning the Sage Valley Invitational last month. He’s ranked first on the American Junior Golf Association and Junior Golf Scoreboard.

He’s got some company in the field from other First Coast players such as former University of North Florida player Nick Gabrelcik, former Jacksonville University player Raul Pereda, Bartram Trail High graduate Julian Suri and Nease graduate Marcus Plunkett, who played golf at Army West Point.

On the PGA Tour, the pressure of the Masters is released at the RBC Heritage, beginning on Thursday at the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The Tour Signature event includes defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Masters runner up Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth.

The Tour is also playing at the Dominican Republic this week.

Area players in RBC Heritage field

First Coast: Ludvig Åberg, Bud Cauley, Billy Horschel, Karl Vilips.

Golden Isles: Harris English, Brian Harman, Andrew Novak, J.T. Poston, Davis Thompson.

Purse: $20 million ($3.6 and 700 FedEx Cup points to the winner).

Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler.

TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 206 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.); CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).

Event: Corales Puntacana Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Puntacana Resort and Club (Corales Course), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Purse: $4 million ($720,000 and 300 FedEx Cup points to the winner).

Defending champion: Billy Horschel.

TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).

Area players: First Coast — Ricky Castillo, Lanto Griffin, Philip Knowles, Russell Knox, Ben Kohls Alejandro Tosti, Danny Walker, Carl Yuan. Golden Isles — Jonathan Byrd, Ben Griffin, Keith Mitchell, Paul Peterson, Greyson Sigg.

LPGA

Event: JM Eagle LA Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Wiltshire Country Club, Los Angeles.

Purse: $3.75 million ($562,500 to the winner).

Defending champion: Hannah Green.

TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m.

Area players: Auston Kim, Jessica Porvasnik.

Korn Ferry Tour

Event: LECOM Suncoast Classic, Thursday-Sunday, Lakewood National, Commander Course, Lakewood Ranch.

Purse: $1 million ($180,000 to the winner).

Defending champion: Tim Widing.

TV: None.

Area players: Tyson Alexander, Samuel Anderson, Dawson Armstrong, Chris Baker, Chandler Blanchet, Cody Blick, Sebastian Cappelen, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nick Gabrelcik, Tano Goya, Luke Guthrie, Raul Pereda, Marcus Plunkett, Miles Russell, Jimmy Stanger, Julian Suri, Thomas Walsh.