Noah Maclauchlan upsets Miles Russell to win 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur

Being 2,040 spots behind Miles Russell on the World Amateur Golf Rankings mattered little to Noah Maclauchlan.

The Moseley, Va., native was an alternate into the main draw of the U.S. Junior Amateur, entered the week No. 2,047 on the WAGR, shot 76 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying and made the cut with only two shots to spare.

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But he ran through five opponents with only one trip required to the 18th hole of the Saucon Valley Country Club Old Course and then took down Russell, the tournament’s co-medalist and No. 7 WAGR player, 6 and 5 in the 36-hole championship match on Saturday to win the newly-named Tiger Woods Trophy as the 78th U.S. Junior Amateur champion.

It matched the fourth-largest margin of victory in a U.S. Junior Amateur final and earned Maclauchlan spots in the upcoming U.S. Amateur at Merion and next year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Maclauchlan charged to early lead

Maclauchlan took charge from the beginning, making birdie on three of his first four holes and taking a 3-up lead with a fourth birdie at the par-5 sixth. Russell — who was 22 under par in his first five matches and defeated Tyler Mawhinney 2 and 1 in a scintillating semifinal — rallied to win four of five holes on the back nine of the first 18 holes and take a 1-up lead with a birdie at the par-5 15th.

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However, Maclauchlan kept pounding the fairways and greens and pouring in putts. He birdied Nos. 17 and 18 to close out the morning tour of the Old Course to take a 1-up lead at the break, then attacked from the start in the afternoon round, winning Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 with birdies to go 5-up.

Russell salvaged halves on the next three holes, but Maclauchlan knocked in a 15-foot putt at No. 10 to extend his lead to 6-up. Russell was able to win No. 11 with a par, but Maclauchlan saved par at No. 12 and then pitched out of heavy rough at the short par-4 13th to set up his winning birdie putt, his 13th of the day.

Maclauchlan said hitting fairways the key

Maclauchlan said the only way to compete with Russell was to give himself more birdie looks, which started with finding the fairway off the tee.

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“As long as we put the ball in the fairway, we’re giving ourselves birdie looks,” he told Golf Channel, referring to himself and his brother and caddie Liam as a team. “And luckily the putter was hot today.”

Maclauchlan said after he barely got through stroke-play qualifying, he realized the course was there for the taking, and never lost confidence after he overpowered his first opponent, Jonathan Ward, when he won the last five holes of the front nine.

“After seeing the scores, I knew it was out there,” he said. “As long as we attacked it right and thought my way around the golf course, I could do it. I love Saucon Valley. It fit my eye well.”

Maclauchlan seized momentum

While Russell battled his driver most of the day, he still found ways to score and shot 2-under 69 on the first 18 holes, matching Maclauchlan’s score.

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Russell was even par on the 13 holes in the afternoon but Maclauchlan never wavered, especially on the greens. Counting his last two birdies of the morning 18, Maclauchlan played his last 15 holes at 8-under.

Russell trailed only one hole in his first five matches, to Mawhinney, and got the lead back within two holes. Once he was down to Maclauchlan after 18, he never recovered.

Russell gave all credit where it was due.

“It was a great week,” Russell told Golf Channel. “Today I just didn’t have my best stuff, and he played really well. Made a lot of putts and I wasn’t able quite able to get it going. At the end of the day, he played, definitely, better than I played. He deserved it.”

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Who is Noah Maclauchlan?

Maclauchlan’s biggest victory before the U.S. Junior was capturing the American Junior Golf Association Lanto Junior Championship in Blacksburg, Va., one of five top-10 finishes he has on the AJGA this season. Maclauchlan is 31st on the AJGA Rolex Rankings (Russell is first).

Maclauchlan was the first alternate at a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier in Portsmouth, Va. (his brother Liam was the co-medalist) but got into the main draw when another player withdrew.

Maclauchlan shot 76 in the first round of stroke play qualifying, then posted a 68 and tied for 39th at 3-over, nine shots behind Russell, a co-medalist.

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When Maclauchlan’s brother missed the cut for match play, he picked up the bag and worked as his caddie the rest of the week.

Maclauchlan began match play by beating Jonathan Ward, going 5-up on the front nine before Ward conceded the rest of the match. Maclauchlan then ousted Western Junior Amateur champion Andrew Sciortino 3 and 1, stroke play co-medalist Brayden Jones 2 and 1, incoming Northwestern player Kuan Zhou 4 and 2 and Cooper Moore of New Zealand 1-up.

What’s next for Miles Russell?

Russell doesn’t get much of a break before beginning play in the Western Amateur July 27-Aug. 1 at the Beverly Country Club in Glenview, Ill.

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He’s exempt into the main draw of the U.S. Amateur at the Merion Country Club near Philadelphia Aug. 10-16. Russell earned a return spot after reaching the quarterfinals last year at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Russell will then begin preparing, with the rest of the U.S. team, for the Walker Cup Sept. 5-6 at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland. Russell was one of the first four players picked for the U.S and the final roster will be completed after the U.S. Amateur

Making the Walker Cup team means Russell will not be able to defend his title in the Junior Players Championship Sept. 4-6 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Noah Maclauchlan upsets Miles Russell to win 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur