Braselton, GA – As the reigning Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, will receive an exemption into the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. The 15-year-old earned the 2023 Rolex Player of the Year award after an outstanding season that included three AJGA victories.
“I am honored to be receiving an exemption into the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. I have dreamt of playing on the PGA TOUR my entire life and to have that dream coming to fruition later this year is a feeling that I cannot describe. I am grateful to the tournament and the AJGA for their partnership that is allowing me this incredible opportunity.” Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
The Butterfield Bermuda Championship will reward the AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year with an annual exemption into their PGA TOUR event, further assisting the AJGA in helping grow and develop young men and women on and off the golf course. This partnership provides a direct pathway to the PGA TOUR for the next generation of stars.
“We are delighted to offer Miles an exemption to compete in Bermuda’s PGA TOUR event. We take great pride in welcoming golf’s future stars to compete on the biggest stage, this is an opportunity Miles will not soon forget. We wish him the very best of luck and take pride in the fact that Bermuda will be his first start on the PGA TOUR,” said Tournament Director of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Danielle Carrera.
To begin the season, Russell claimed back-to-back victories at TaylorMade TP5 Junior All-Star and Moon Golf Junior All-Star. Russell earned two more wins at the Boy’s Junior PGA Championship and The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex to close out his impressive year.
Russell achieved a historic milestone at the Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Classic tournament. At just 15 years old, he became the youngest player to ever place inside the top-25 at a PGA TOUR sanctioned event. Russell's performance included four under-par rounds, landing him a 14-under tally for the week.
The AJGA began hosting the annual Butterfield Bermuda Junior Championship presented by Digicel at Port Royal Golf Course in 2023. The event’s inaugural champions were Dylan Bingwen Ma of (China) Jacksonville, Florida and Ein Kim of (South Korea) Irvine, California. The event included players from 20 states, nine countries and three Bermuda natives.
Clark Sonnenberg of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Carlee Meilleur of Lansdowne, Canada were crowned champions of the 2024 event. Sonnenberg and Meilleur each earned their first career AJGA victories. The tournament included five Bermuda natives, seven countries and 18 states represented.
During both tournaments, Oliver Betschart of Warwick, Bermuda earned the low-Bermudian honors. At 15 years old, Betschart made his PGA TOUR debut in the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Betschart carded a final round 68 at a local qualifying event to earn his way into the field.
“The AJGA is excited to offer a PGA TOUR exemption to our Rolex Player of the Year,” said Patrick Cansfield, Director, Development of the AJGA. We are proud to partner with the PGA TOUR and Butterfield Bermuda Championship to help our juniors grow on and off the golf course. This exemption will provide increased exposure and experience for our top boy. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Bermuda Tourism Authority and Bermuda Golf Association for many years to come.”
The Rolex AJGA Rankings is the proprietary system created to identify and rank the top junior players who have competed in the premier junior golf tournaments in the United States. Several notable Rolex Player of the Year winners include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, among others.
In 2023, 25 AJGA alumni claimed victories on the PGA TOUR. Four of the five past champions of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship were also AJGA alumni, Brendon Todd, Brian Gay, Lucas Herbert and Camilo Villegas. This partnership between the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and the AJGA will continue to provide a platform to grow the game of golf.
For more information about the Butterfield Bermuda Junior Championship, please contact Director, Development, Patrick Cansfield (pcansfield@ajga.org) at 678-425-1741.
About the Butterfield Bermuda Championship presented by Digicel Business
The Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Bermuda’s first-ever PGA TOUR event, is an annual stop on the PGA TOUR calendar each fall. The 2024 tournament will take place November 14-17 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda, and the field will feature a minimum of three local Bermudian players. This official FedEx Cup Fall event will showcase Bermuda to its worldwide spectators with live broadcasting brought to you by Golf Channel. For more information on the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, please visit the Butterfield Bermuda Championship website.
About Bermuda Tourism Authority
The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) is an independent, non-government entity and the official destination marketing organization for the island country. The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) promotes Bermuda globally as a world-class destination for leisure and group travel and tourism investment. For more information visit: https://www.gotobermuda.com/bta