Lefty vs. Lefty for USGA Glory

👋 {{readername | Hey, golf fans}},

Before we talk about Miles Russell at Saucon Valley, before we discuss Jenny Shin at Dundonald Links, and Michael Kim at TPC Twin Cities. Before we move to golf… damn you, LeBron! You shook the world.

In case you haven’t gotten the memo, or the roars of Philly fans haven’t reached you yet, King James has decided to sign with the 76ers (how, why, what, and the answers to all your other questions are here). Congrats to all our readers from Philadelphia—don't be surprised if you spot a 6-foot-9-inch-tall man at your golf club next month. That being said, let’s move to golf now.

Onward…

July 30, 1989. A 17-year-old First Coast native named David Duval triumphed in the U.S. Junior Amateur final for the first time. Duval, who would go on to win the 2001 Open, defeated Austin Maki 1-up. Nearly four decades later, Miles Russell, 17, has the chance to become the second First Coast golfer to lift the U.S. Junior Amateur trophy.

Russell bested Vanderbilt freshman Tyler Mawhinne 2-and-1 in the semifinals. But…

It took every ounce of his energy. Three eagles. 11 birdies. Some outrageous hole-outs from both golfers. Russell and Mawhinne offered the spectators a duel for the ages in Pennsylvania. Despite both making birdies, holes were getting halved between the two. Eagles became the deciding factor in at least three holes.

Mawhinne’s spectacular approach shots were matched and bettered by Russell with his gutsy pin-seeking play. Check out this chip-in birdie (and the fist pump) from Russell on the 13th. They both bogeyed the 16th, but on the 17th, Russell converted his downhill putt while Mawhinne missed it.

Yesterday, Russell played 30 holes at 14 under, and according to Brently Romine, if Russell wins, he will join Jordan Spieth as the highest-ranked amateur to win the U.S. Junior Am.

Now, the 17-year-old will face Noah Maclauchlan. They are separated by 2,040 spots on the WAGR, but they are both lefties—watch their swings in this side-by-side clip. They’ll lock horns at 8 a.m. EDT today.

Can you name the European pro who has the most majors under his belt? No, it’s not Rory McIlroy, and 89% of our readers got it wrong.

LPGA: “I couldn't believe what I was seeing, what I was playing.” So said Jenny Shin (-11/1st), recalling her first links golf experience. We totally get the charm of links golf. But what we don’t get is how the heck you shoot 66-67 and take a five-shot lead after 36 holes at Dundonald Links. Or how you make 50 putts in two rounds when certified links pro Charley Hull (+7/T46) de-greened (yes, that’s a golf term) her ball. Shin did all of that and more while Nelly Korda (T38) carded 4 over, Minjee Lee withdrew after shooting a 13-over 85, and Lydia Ko shot 10 over to miss the cut by four strokes.

PGA Tour: Remember Michael Kim (-14/1st)? Golf Twitter’s favorite pro just made history by shooting a 59. What’s funny is most 59s happen by luck; Kim manifested it. He played the last four holes at 4 under, converting birdies that started growing longer with each hole. 11-footer on 15th. 13-footer on 16th. 17-footer on 17th. And the final—a remarkable 24-footer on the 18th. Watch it here.

LIV Golf: At JCB Golf Club in the UK, Lucas Herbert (-17/1st) fired a 66 after shooting 61 in the first round. Bryson DeChambeau (-13/2nd) trails by four shots. Bryson needs to win to stop Jon Rahm (-2/T31) from snatching the season-long individual championship title. But Herbert isn’t allowing it, and he is also driving the green on the par-4 with a… fairway wood, as you will see here.

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Last Poll Result: Sam Burns and Cameron Young were two players that impressed our readers the most. Whereas most of you were disappointed by Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler.

Is it a hot putter? Is it a smoking hot driver? No, it’s a volcano. We’re talking about Mauna Loa, New Zealand's Rotorua Golf Club, where Michael Marston, a local, heard gunshot-type sounds midway through his round. Lo and behold, smoke was coming out of a water body on the golf course. It was an eruption after the region was struck by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake. Standing 600 meters away, Marston recorded it, which you can see here thanks to NZ Herald.

It’s situated in Arikikapakapa, a region known for its thermal activity. The course features several hot springs and gurgling mud pools. Rotorua Golf Club—here is a flyover video—is one of the most unique (and gorgeous) courses you will ever see. Oral history suggests Alister MacKenzie played in a foursome here and lost 14 golf balls. Well, the 14th, 15th, and 16th play around a thermal pool. Who dares go near if a ball lands there?

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