Rising Star Miles Russell Joins Gray Albright at the Pinnacle of the Jones Cup Rankings

Top junior Miles Russell joins Gray Albright at the forefront of the Jones Cup leaderboard

Miles Russell (Jones Cup/Chasing Fowl Photography)

Gray Albright and Miles Russell will enter the final round of the Jones Cup Invitational this Sunday as co-leaders of the tournament. 

Each of the players stands at 4-under-par after two rounds on the consistently challenging Ocean Forest Golf Club course on Sea Island, which presented another demanding challenge on Saturday for one of the strongest fields expected in 2025 in the amateur golf circuit.  

Albright, who shared the top spot following the first 18 holes as well, registered an even-par 72 on Saturday with a birdie on the 18th hole, complementing his 4-under total from Friday’s opening round. Russell achieved a bogey-free 68 in his second round after scoring level-par in round one. 

“Today was definitely more of a grind, especially with the weather and other factors,” Albright remarked. “You can’t resist it, and I believe I did a commendable job maintaining my patience and allowing events to unfold organically. It was a nice finish, obviously.”

Albright is currently a graduate student at Florida State University, while Russell is a 16-year-old prodigy from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., who is still eligible for junior golf competitions. 

At present, Russell holds the No. 136 ranking, while Albright is at No. 141 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.

He has previously competed on the PGA Tour, having done so this last summer. The top junior globally, Russell was the youngest player to earn the American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Junior Player of the Year award in 2023. He also became the youngest to win the PGA Junior Championship and the Junior Players Championship.

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“I played fairly well, adhering to my game strategy throughout the day,” Russell commented regarding his second round on Saturday, in which he made four birdies. “It was a consistent round. I managed to keep it in front of me, which was beneficial.”

The leading pair holds only a one-stroke advantage heading into Sunday’s concluding round over three contenders. Among them is fellow first-round co-leader and Duke golfer Luke Samples, who settled for a 1-over 73 on Saturday after beginning with a 68, placing him in a share of the overnight lead. 

Another trio of competitors stands at 1-under following 36 holes and will embark on the final 18 three shots behind the leaders. One of the participants in that group is Henry Guan, an Oklahoma State commit, who recorded a 65 on Saturday, establishing a new single-round scoring record at the Jones Cup on the Ocean Forest course that was refreshed by designer Beau Welling and made its debut at the tournament last January. 

Last year, former Tennessee golfer Caleb Surratt shot a 67 in the final round for the previous low score on the revamped course and ultimately secured second place for the second consecutive time at the Jones Cup before turning pro. 

Guan’s round on Saturday featured nine birdies alongside two bogeys. His score was merely one shot shy of the all-time tournament low held by Alex Fitzpatrick, who posted a 64 in the opening round of the 2021 tournament. 

Saturday’s conditions were characterized by temperatures in the 40s and wet conditions following overnight rain in coastal Georgia.

The course configuration and weather combined to create challenging scoring conditions for the 84-player field, which comprises 43 of the top 100 competitors in the amateur world rankings. Only eight participants are under par after two rounds, while four others remain at even-par heading into the final round. 

“I certainly think it was more challenging than yesterday,” Albright stated concerning the playing conditions. “The wind was definitely stronger today, and it felt a bit colder because there was no sunlight until we reached the 18th hole. It was just considerably tougher, I believe, out there today.”

Albright, participating in his first Jones Cup, began strong on Friday with birdies on his first two holes and three on his opening nine. However, Saturday unfolded differently.

He commenced with four consecutive pars but encountered back-to-back bogeys midway through his outward nine, followed by another bogey on the par-5 10th hole. Nonetheless, Albright returned to even for the day with three birdies in his final eight holes, including one at the last. He struck a 5-iron from 205 yards to within five feet and converted the putt on the par-4 finishing hole that abuts the Atlantic Ocean. 

Russell reached the top of the leaderboard by filling his scorecard with pars while adding four birdies. He notched a birdie in the middle of his front nine and tallied three more on the closing nine. 

This marked Russell’s initial participation in the Jones Cup last year when the greens were still extremely firm after Ocean Forest had reopened just a few months earlier following renovation work.

“I may have hit one stray shot today, but I managed to salvage it,” Russell noted. 

“The weather was reminiscent of last year, yet I prefer the course significantly better this time. It’s lush and green now, and I can ease the ball on the greens. It’s a genuinely different golf course this year.”

Also just a stroke back from the co-leaders is Albright’s teammate at Florida State, Jack Bigham. In one of the final groups to finish, Bigham recorded a bogey-free 68 on Saturday, which included a birdie at the par-3 ninth hole, his concluding hole. He gathered three birdies on his opening nine. 

Illinois golfer Ryan Voois is also at 3-under heading into Sunday. Voois achieved seven birdies in the second round, countered by two bogeys, posting a 67 to enter the contention after an opening round of 74. 

Voois attributed improved ball-striking to his successful round as he continued to putt well. 

“It was a solid round,” he said. “Yesterday, I finished poorly. I’ve been putting well for the past two days, and I figured a few things out with my swing after my round yesterday on the range. I focused on applying pressure correctly at the ground level, being athletic, and achieving good positioning at the apex of the backswing. At this level, it’s about the finer details—just some minor adjustments.”

Sunday’s round will commence one hour later than initially planned due to expected morning frost. Overnight low temperatures are likely to hover around freezing. However, the forecast indicates temperatures in the mid-40s by mid-morning with clear skies, expected to rise into the 50s by the afternoon under continued sunshine. 

This year’s tournament marks the 21st edition of the Jones Cup.

Tournament Notebook:

More on the YoungWeapon: Henry Guan, who achieved the tournament record score of 65 on Saturday at the new Ocean Forest course, has already committed to play for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Guan, a native of Texas, ranks among the nation’s elite junior golfers and currently holds the No. 211 position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He recently secured a second-place finish just before Christmas at the South Beach International, finishing two strokes behind champion Miles Russell, another rising star who shares the lead heading into Sunday’s final round of the Jones Cup.

Russell, who turned 16 last November, is already positioned at No. 49 globally.

Guan’s scorecard from Saturday showcased nine birdies alongside a pair of bogeys on his journey to a 7-under score that places him in contention for the title. He enters the final round on Sunday at 1-under-par, trailing the tournament co-leaders by only three strokes.

Media representatives from the Jones Cup spoke with Guan following his round on Saturday, which came after he shot a 78 in the initial round.

“Yesterday, I really struggled. Clearly, this course is incredibly challenging,” Guan remarked. “It’s all about not squandering your birdie (opportunities), maximizing your chances, and I clearly did that today.”

Guan earned his spot in this year’s field through a qualifying event held at Sea Island’s Retreat Course in December.

“With numerous outstanding players in previous years and countless prominent names, it’s truly an honor and fulfilling to set a record,” he added.

Teammates synergy: Various college teams featuring multiple players in the field have duos performing well in this year’s tournament. However, the leading pair consists of Florida State athletes Gray Albright and Jack Bigham.

These two Seminoles are firmly in the hunt for the Jones Cup title, one of the premier honors in amateur golf. Albright is tied for the lead at 4-under heading into the final 18 holes on Sunday while Bigham is just a stroke off the lead at 3-under after two days.

The FSU teammates will play in the final pairing on Sunday alongside Russell, who hails from Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

“It’s really exciting. It’s great to see our guys performing well as we approach the (spring) season,” Albright stated. “I’m looking forward to competing against him tomorrow.”

Last year, Florida State standout Luke Clanton made a strong push for the tournament title. He is now the No. 1-ranked amateur worldwide and would have been among the favorites this week at Ocean Forest in the opening tournament of the schedule.

However, Clanton is not at Sea Island. Instead, he is competing in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii.

FSU finished as the runner-up to Auburn at last year’s NCAA championship.

“We’re definitely focused on that national championship. That’s the main goal for all of us,” Albright mentioned.

Recovering: Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun arrived at the Jones Cup as the highest-rated player in the field, currently holding the No. 2 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Last season’s top player in collegiate golf while leading the Tigers to their initial national title, Koivun posted a 76 in the first round, leaving him eight strokes behind the leaders after day one.

On Saturday, he improved by six shots, recording a 70 that featured five birdies, including three consecutive ones on holes one, two, and three.

As a result, he advanced to 2-over for the tournament and is tied for 14th on the leaderboard, allowing him a chance to compete in the final round.

To secure victory, he will need to score low, but Koivun is capable of doing so. His adjusted scoring average last season was 67.3. He finished as the runner-up last January at Ocean Forest.

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