Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach is right back in the thick of things at a world-respected amateur event.
Four days after losing to Noah Maclauchlan in the finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur at Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, Pa., Russell posted his second 67 of the week on July 29 and is among a five-way tie for fifth in the 124th Western Amateur at the Beverly Country Club in Chicago.
Russell got off to a blazing start in the second round. After beginning at the 10th hole, he birdied four in a row, at Nos. 11, 12, 13 and 14, and added birdies at Nos. 16 and 18 for a back-nine 29.
Russell birdied the second hole, then cooled off with bogeys at Nos. 4, 5 and 8. But he's still well within range to make the match-play portion of the tournament on July
31 and Aug. 1.
Russell is three shots behind leader Logan Reilly of Lovettsville, Va., who went 3-0 in match play as a freshman for the Auburn Tigers in May to help them win a second national championship in three years.
The field was cut to the low-44, plus ties, after the second round. Those competitors will play 36 holes on July 30, with the cut made to the low 16 for match play.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Miles Russell has scorching front nine, gets into Western Amateur contention
