​After a previous attempt to team up in May, Miles Russell and Paul Tesori will share the fairways at the PGA Tour’s ISCO Championship, held July 9-12 at Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Tesori, a St. Augustine native and a veteran caddie who has earned victories with Webb Simpson, Vijay Singh, Sean O’Hair and Jerry Kelly, and who has also worked for Cameron Young, Tom Kim, Chris Couch and Adam Schenk, will handle Russell’s bag as he competes in his 14th professional event as an amateur over the past three years. Russell, a 17-year-old from Jacksonville Beach, is currently making his way through the early stages of his career while balancing a demanding schedule on the junior and amateur circuits.
The two had initially planned to link up at the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship in May, but Simpson seized the opportunity to participate in the Truist Championship, the Tour’s marquee event in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. With Simpson taking this week off, Tesori will carry Russell’s clubs as the young Floridian goes in search of his fifth made cut in his last six professional starts.
A photo from the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills shows Joe Russell (left), Miles Russell’s father, switching clubs with caddie Ramon Bescansa (right) on the 18th hole during the final round. The moment became a Father’s Day gift for Joe Russell, as he walked the final hole with his son. The image captures the close dynamic between Miles, his family, and his caddie cadre as the USGA event wrapped up. In coverage from Golfweek, Tesori recalled the humility and mentorship that make pace-setting caddies so valuable on the tour.
“I love to work. I love what I do. I love mentoring,” Tesori told Golfweek earlier this week. “I just kind of love that role.” He added that Russell’s development has been nourished by consistent guidance and a strong, steady mindset that helps him stay composed under pressure.
Russell is fresh off a tie for 39th at the U.S. Open, where he made the cut alongside his swing coach and usual caddie, Ramon Bescansa. His final round at Shinnecock Hills was notable for his even-par 72, contributing to his overall performance in a week where only a small handful of players avoided posting a double bogey. The moment that drew particular attention occurred on the final hole, when Bescansa pulled Joe Russell from the ropes to carry his son’s bag as they walked to the 18th green—an act that became one of the season’s most heartwarming stories.
Tesori described Bescansa as someone who would not require babysitting on difficult shots. “Ramon said he doesn’t need a lot, that he’s got a 27-year-old head on his body,” Tesori told Golfweek. “Which is just kind of rare to see for a 17-year-old, and we know he’s special. We know how good he is, but it’s also that mentality, the way he carries himself that no moment seems to be too big.”
Russell and Jackson Koivun, a former Auburn standout who helped lead the Tigers to two national championships, spent the weekend rounds of the U.S. Open together on June 20-21 at Shinnecock Hills. Koivun was competing in his final amateur event before turning pro last week at the John Deere Classic. The two are set to be grouped again for the ISCO Championship’s first two rounds, continuing a developing rapport among young players and their veteran mentors.
As Russell continues to rise through the amateur ranks, he holds a position of rising prominence in international golf discussions. His latest ranking puts him among the top contenders on the World Amateur Ranking, underscoring his potential to translate early promise into professional success. The ISCO Championship offers him a platform to showcase his game against seasoned professionals like Tesori, while the pairing with Tesori highlights the importance of mentorship and steady leadership in cultivating young talent at the highest levels of golf.