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One of the most talked-about junior golfers in the sport, Miles Russell has a veteran pro on the bag this week. The two have been practicing together on the range ahead of the $4 million ISCO Championship at the Hurstbourne Country Club. It’s Russell’s fourth professional start of the summer, and his caddie, Paul Tesori, has already passed along a valuable tip from Tiger Woods.

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“Tiger always had a weird rule. He would always be like, I’m sure Charlie’s learned some of this, but like, he would never hit that bunker shot. His reasoning would be, you can’t hit it close no matter what. And so, like, at Augusta, he’s like, you should never practice a shot that you’ll never be or that you don’t have a play for. He liked to do, like, a little more of the mundane ones,” Tesori said.

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Paul Tesori is guiding Russell through practice at Hurstbourne. Paul Tesori is a veteran caddie who has spent more than two decades on the PGA Tour. His resume includes carrying the bag for Webb Simpson’s entire seven-win run. After Simpson’s, Tesori has carried bags for pros like Cameron Young.

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He’s found success in his own game recently, winning the Florida Senior State Open as an amateur. Tesori has spoken before about what the job really demands beyond reading yardage. In a past interview, he described caddying as understanding the player’s work form, staying locked in on the range, and reading how nerves and anxiety can really impact someone in the moment. This week he brings that expertise to the bag for Miles Russell.

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The 17-year-old lefty from Jacksonville Beach is no stranger to sharing a bag with unconventional partners, he says. Just weeks before, he had Charlie Woods, Tiger Woods’ son, on his bag. He caddied for him at the U.S. Open qualifying. Russell has spoken fondly of that pairing, and the experience has become a part of already defined frequent changes at the bag. Another memorable incident Russell had was at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills itself. Russell brought his own father on the 72nd hole as a Father’s Day surprise.

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That said, Miles Russell already has an AJGA Player of the Year title, and he was hoping to start the season. This week, he’s teeing up with the field that includes Max Homa, Lucas Glover, Denny McCarthy, and Taylor Pendrith. Along with that, he also has fellow young talents on the field, Preston Stout and Jackson Koivun. Whether he can lift a trophy at this championship remains to be seen.

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Roshni Dhawan

321 Articles

Roshni Dhawan is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the financial and human side of the professional game. Her reporting centers on player earnings and tournament economics, from net-worth profiles of pros such as Sahith Theegala to the prize-money breakdown at the 2026 U.S. Open, alongside explainer features that introduce readers to the tour's lesser-known names, including her profile of Harry Higgs. She also reports on everything that define a tournament week, covering on-course conduct, rules decisions, and the fan and media reaction that follows, with much of her 2026 work centered on the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Roshni's background is in research and brand strategy, which informs the accuracy and structure she brings to her coverage. She works methodically, prioritizing verification and the detail that a strong earnings or profile piece depends on.

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