Two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau didn't have to stop. He was mid-session on the range, locked in ahead of a major. But when 17-year-old Miles Russell walked by, the American golfer put down his club and walked over to say hello.

Russell revealed the interaction on Wednesday at his pre-tournament press conference at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. The 17-year-old is making his U.S. Open debut this week, the No. 1-ranked junior golfer in the world stepping into his first major.

He was asked about his relationship with Bryson DeChambeau and whether he had spoken during the U.S. Open week after appearing together in a YouTube video.

"He's great," Russell said. "I was walking down the range the other day, and he was hitting balls. He stopped what he was doing, came over, and said hi and just chatted for a minute. It was pretty cool."

The two aren't strangers. Russell appeared on DeChambeau's YouTube channel, which has over 2.7 million subscribers, in one of his popular "Breaking 50" episodes. DeChambeau captioned the video: "This kid has a very bright future…"

DeChambeau spoke to Mirror U.S. Sports about the teenager ahead of the tournament. "I think he's a stellar player," he said. "He qualified for a U.S. Open. It's obviously impressive. His game's impressive. He's done so much as a junior golfer, and he'll continue to develop and become a great golfer."

He wasn't wrong. Russell dramatically qualified for the U.S. Open at the final qualifier in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., rallying from a triple-bogey on his last hole of the first round to survive a 3-for-2 playoff. Charlie Woods, son of Tiger Woods and Russell's future Florida State teammate, was on the bag.

And DeChambeau's praise for the teenager goes well beyond a friendly greeting on the range.

Bryson DeChambeau's Boldest Take: Miles Russell Could Lead on Sunday

DeChambeau didn't stop at the compliments. "This is a great experience," DeChambeau said. "And you never know. I mean… He could go out and be leading going in on a Sunday."

Russell, for his part, isn't treating Shinnecock any differently than a regular event. "I don't know if my mindset changes much," he said. "It's still another tournament. I'm going to treat it like if it was an AJGA, where I'm just trying to come here and play good golf."

Russell has already made history before this week. Two years ago, at 15, he became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make a cut at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida. He's also just the seventh player to win multiple AJGA Player of the Year awards, joining Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on that list.

At 17, with the world's best watching, Miles Russell has earned his place at Shinnecock. Russell tees off Thursday at 7:19 a.m. ET alongside Padraig Harrington and Cameron Smith.

Will DeChambeau's bold prediction come true, or will Shinnecock Hills prove too tough for the teenage star?

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Ankita Yadav