78th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship - Meet the Quarterfinalists

The next stage is a spot in the final four for the players still alive in the 78th US Junior Amateur Championship.

Here's a deeper look at the Quarterfinalists.

Miles Russell, 17, of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.  

• WAGR®: No. 7 
• Russell is playing in his fourth U.S. Junior Amateur (2022, 2024 and 2025) 
• Named to 2026 USA Walker Cup Team, becoming the first current Walker Cupper to appear in the U.S. Junior Amateur 
• He has three consecutive quarterfinals appearances dating back to 2024 
• The Florida native recently competed in his first U.S. Open, making the cut and finishing tied for 39th place at 7-over par  
• Advanced to the U.S. Open through the BallenIsles Country Club qualifier where fellow 2027 Florida State golf commit Charlie Woods was his caddy (Woods played in the U.S. Junior Amateur but did not make the cut) 
• Owns major Junior Tour victories including the 2023 Junior PGA Championship, 2023 Junior Players Championship, 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, 2025 Junior Players and, most recently, defending his title at the 2026 Junior Invitational  
• Earned co-medalist honors following two rounds of stroke play with a 36-hole total of 6-under 135 
• In 2024, he became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make a cut, doing so at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida. He was also named the 2023 and 2025 American Junior Golf Association's Player of the Year. 
• Was a member of the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team in 2024 
• Has caddie JP Solis on the bag this week, who has caddied on the PGA Tour before. JP caddied for Miles last year at the U.S. Amateur and Western Amateur. 

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 69-66-135 in stroke play to earn co-medalist honors (No. 2 seed) 
• R64: Def. Eli Wessel (playoff survivor), 6 and 5 
• R32: Def. Evan Liu, 4 and 2 
• R16: Def. Reed Arnaldo, 2-up 

Tyler Mawhinney, 18, of Fleming Island, Fla. 

• WAGR®: No. 102
• Is a three-time U.S. National Junior Team member who has been on the squad since its inaugural year (2024) 
• Signed to play at Vanderbilt University in the fall (class of ‘30) 
• His caddie is future Commodores teammate Luke Colton’s father. Jim is the host of the “Driven Golf Podcast” and founded “DRVN Golf” a golf stats and analytics program.  
• Alongside teammate Will Hartman, Mawhinney won the 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Plainfield C.C. becoming a USGA champion 
• The Floridian won the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions in 2023, the same year he was the Florida Class 3A boys individual state champion 
• Was the runner-up at the 2025 Boys’ Junior PGA Championship and 2025 Rolex Tournament of Champions 
• Competed in the 2025 U.S. Amateur and advanced to the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur at Trinity Forest G.C. 

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 70-68-138 in stroke play to earn the No. 6 seed 
• R64: Def. Rawlin Sutter, 2 and 1 
• R32: Def. Nico Ward, 8 and 7 
• R16: Def. Louis Klein, 2 and 1 

Noah Maclauchlan, 18, of Moseley, Va.  

• WAGR®: No. 2047 
• The Virginia native recently finished runner-up to Ethan Evans at the VSGA Junior Stroke Play championship 
• Signed to play golf at Liberty University in the fall (Class of ‘30) 
• His younger brother Liam, who has been caddieing for Noah in match play, also appeared in the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur, missing the cut with a 36-hole total of 10-over 151 
• Recently advanced to the match play semifinals at the recent AJGA RLX Junior Classic 
• Owns one win in 2026, the Lanto Junior Championship at Blacksburg Country Club in Blacksburg, Va.  

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 76-68-144 in stroke play to earn No. 49 seed 
• R64: Def. Jonathan Ward via concession 
• R32: Def. Andrew Sciortino, 3 and 1  
• R16: Def. medalist Brayden Jones, 2 and 1 

Ryan Xie, 18, of New Zealand 

• WAGR®: No. 813 
• The New Zealander is committed to play golf at Santa Clara University in the fall  
• Recently finished as the runner-up at the 2026 Australian Boys’ Amateur, moreover, he owns additional top 10 finishes including the 2025 North Shore Classic, 2024 Jack Newton International Junior Classic, 2024 New Zealand U19 Championship and 2023 Auckland Provincial Match Play Championship 
• One of two New Zealanders to advance to match play at this year’s championship, the other is Cooper Moore who defeated Dawson Lew 1-up 
• Cooper and Ryan have played each other in match play three times before; Ryan leads the series, 2-1. Friday will be the first match between the two of them in the U.S., the previous three were all in New Zealand 
• Placed 65th in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur, just missing match play 

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 72-70-142 to earn the No. 20 seed 
• R64: Def. Jin Han, 4 and 3 
• R32: Def. Minhyeok Yu, 2 and 1 
• R16: Def. Troy Storm, 4 and 3 

Sohan Patel, 17, of Weston, Fla.  

• WAGR®: No. 764 
• Patel is a first-year U.S. National Junior team member who is playing in his second U.S. Junior Amateur  
• Recently completed his junior season at American Heritage High School where he won the Florida 2A individual title as a sophomore and junior  
• Committed to play at Vanderbilt University in 2027 where he will be teammates with current USNJT members Luke Colton and Tyler Mawhinney, and past members Will Hartman and Michael Riebe 
• Played in the 2023 U.S. Amateur and advanced to match play at the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine 
• Advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur before being defeated by the eventual champion, Hamilton Coleman 
• Plays left-handed 

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 66-69-135 in stroke play to earn co-medalist honors 
• R64: Def. Luke Ringkamp, 1 up 
• R32: Def. Chase Yenser, 4 and 3 
• R16: Def. Brayden Forte, 4 and 2 

Kuan Zhou, 18, of Houston, Texas 

• WAGR®: No. 585 
• Committed to play at Northwestern University in the fall 
• Placed third at the 2025 R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship 
• Owns a win at the 2025 BJGT Get Golfing Challenge in England 
• Advanced to the Round of 32 at last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur but fell to Chase Bauer, 4 and 2 

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 70-69-139 in stroke play to earn the No. 9 seed 
• R64: Def. Zenghao Hou, 1 up 
• R32: Def. Spencer Shropshire, 3 and 1 
• R16: Def. Michael Asselta, 3 and 1 

Cooper Moore, 18, of New Zealand 

• WAGR®: No. 274 
• Playing in his second U.S. Junior Amateur 
• Played the longest match of the week (thus far) in a 22-hole playoff battle against Landon Ashcraft in the Round of 64 
• Member of the Golf NZ National Academy 
• Semi-finalist at the 2026 Australian Boys’ Amateur  
• Runner-up at the 2025 New Zealand U19 Championship 
• Recorded three consecutive wins in 2025, winning the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship and Australian Boys’ Amateur in back-to-back weeks and South Island U19 Championship a few weeks later 
• Peaked at No. 161 in the WAGR® during the 2025 season 
• Owns 17 top ten finishes in 38 counting events 
• Will face compatriot Ryan Xie in the quarterfinal match. The pair has faced each other in match play three times previously, with Ryan leading the series, 2-1 
• Has local Saucon Valley caddie Marc Szilezy on the bag this week

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 68-77-145 in stroke play to earn the No. 53 seed 
• R64: Def. Landon Ashcraft, 22 holes 
• R32: Def. Geon Kang, 4 and 3 
• R16: Def. Dawson Lew, 1 up 

Dylan Boenning, 18, of Scottsdale, Ariz.  

• WAGR®: No. 245 
• One of six players in the field who is a current college player 
• Rising sophomore at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash.  
• Competed in all 10 team events as a freshman and was named to the All-West Coast Conference first team 
• Had three top 10 and five top 25 finishes and became the first WSU freshman selected for an NCAA Regional Championship as an individual, competing at the Corvallis Regional where he finished 43rd 
• Placed fourth at the West Coast Conference Men's Golf Championship 
• His caddie this week is Washington State assistant coach Derek Bayley who formerly played on PGA Tour Canada 
• Play four years at Brophy Prep in Phoenix, Ariz. 
• Won the 2025 Uswing Mojing Junior Championship in a field that included fellow quarterfinalist Kuan Zhou 

Road to the Quarterfinals 

• Shot 70-69-139 in stroke play to earn the No. 7 seed 
• R64: Def. Hampton Beebe, 1 up 
• R32: Def. Xihuan Chang, 4 and 3 
• R16: Def. Own Coniaris, 19 holes