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ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 11: Jordan Spieth of the USA with playing partner Patrick Rodgers on the 11th tee during the day two morning foursomes matches held on the Balgownie Links at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club on on September 11, 2011 in Aberdeen, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon\/R&A\/R&A via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Expect this year\u2019s U.S. captain, Nathan Smith, who led last year\u2019s team to victory at Cypress Point and was a teammate of Spieth and Rodgers in 2011, to rely more on his two wunderkinds, who have practiced together considerably through the first few days in Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re so good at such a young age,\u201d Smith said of Russell and Watts. \u201cIt kind of blows your mind. But I think from kind of a maturity standpoint, from a golf IQ standpoint, it\u2019s really fun to watch them. It\u2019s an honor to be their captain, and just make sure they get here on time and they\u2019re ready to go with anything they need.\u201d<\/p>\n
Russell has widely been considered the best high-schooler since Spieth. He\u2019s nearly completed what would be the career grand slam of junior golf, capturing two Junior Invitationals at Sage Valley, two AJGA Junior Players, a Junior PGA, and finishing runner-up at this summer\u2019s U.S. Junior Amateur.<\/p>\n
But Watts is actually ranked higher than the fifth-ranked Russell in WAGR, sitting second. Watts, also a U.S. Junior runner-up (2024), has already made two cuts on the PGA Tour and won a pair of elite amateur events, last year\u2019s Sunnehanna Amateur and this year\u2019s Northeast Amateur.<\/p>\n
Coincidentally, they are both lefties, though Watts is arguably known more for his ballstriking, while Russell shines with his wedges and around the greens.<\/p>\n
Mid-amateur Stewart Hagestad, competing in his sixth straight Walker Cup this week, was a contemporary of both Spieth and Rodgers. The 35-year-old, noting he was more than double Russell\u2019s age as he shared an interview podium with the kid, sees similarities in the two sets of Walker Cup phenoms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey all seemed to have this really amazing ability to be very comfortable with who they are and the idea that they\u2019ve worked their tails off to put themselves in the position that they\u2019re in,\u201d Hagestad said. \u201cI look at Miles and Tyler \u2026 it\u2019s just really, really interesting, as one who\u2019s older, to kind of see the \u2013 not arrogant or blind confidence that they have, but this belief of just like, this is really cool; like what else would I be doing? This is what I\u2019ve strived for up to this point in my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s a really, really sincere, genuine sense of self-belief that is really kind of infectious. \u2026 It\u2019s just totally inspiring to be around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Russell was nearly on Smith\u2019s squad last year, getting the call that he was the first alternate after bowing out of the U.S. Amateur in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat definitely gave me a little bit more motivation,\u201d Russell said, \u201cto keep trying to do my thing and keep playing good golf and hopefully be able to make it this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when Smith chimed in: \u201cI just want to say I made that call because I knew he\u2019d be here this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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