Finishing with a flourish: Miles Russell caps memorable week with 66 at LECOM Suncoast Classic

Another day, another sub-par round, another piece of history for 15-year-old Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach.

Russell went on a tear mid-round on Sunday at the Lakewood National Commander Course near Bradenton and finished with a 66 and a four-round total of 14-under-par 270 in the Korn Ferry Tour LECOM Suncoast Classic.

At the time Russell finished, he was in a tie for 15th, and he eventually ended in a tie for 20th. He birdied four of five holes during one stretch, and seven of 10 and briefly was in a tie for third, four shots behind Patrick Cover's 54-hole lead.

Round one: Russell has a hot start and finishes with a 68

Round two: Russell shoots 66 to become youngest to make Korn Ferry Tour cut

Round three: Russell bounces back from a difficult start

He eventually finished six shots out of the playoff that involved winner Tim Widing, Cover and Steven Fisk.

Russell shot under par in all four of his rounds, opening with a 68, then shooting 66 on Friday to become the youngest player in history to make the cut at a Korn Ferry Tour event, the PGA Tour's pathway tour that began in 1990.

His finish also makes him the youngest to post a top-20 in Korn Ferry Tour history.

Russell also was the youngest First Coast native to play in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, nearly three years younger than David Duval when he played in the 1990 U.S. Open.

Counting a Monday qualifier round in March for the Tour's Puerto Rico Open (he shot 67 and missed getting into the field in a four-for-one playoff), Russell has shot 19-under in five rounds in professional tournaments.

Breaking down Miles Russell's final round

Russell began the day in a tie for 48th and after three opening pars, rapidly ascended the leaderboard.

He birdied Nos. 4, 6 and 7, then quickly rallied from a bogey at No. 8 to birdie Nos. 9, 10, 12 and 13.

He parred his next four before the closing bogey.

Russell hit seven of 13 fairways, his lowest total in a round this week, but hit 15 of 18 greens, his best of the week. He averaged 1.53 putts per green in regulation.

What's next for Miles Russell?

By finishing among the top-25 at the LECOM Classic, Russell earned a spot in next week's Korn Ferry Veritex Bank Championship at the Texas Rangers Golf Club. The option is available to non-members and amateurs.

Russell can't be a full member of the PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour until he is 18 years old. He can play on sponsor invitations, Monday qualifiers or through his finishes in events (a top-10 in a PGA Tour event earns a spot in the next tournament, except for majors or Signature Events) and he would be capped at 12 starts in one season.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell shoots closing 66 in Korn Ferry's LECOM Suncoast Classic