A thrilling pursuit for a spot in the 2026 U.S. Open came down to the wire for a local Vero Beach athlete this week. During what is widely known in the golf community as Golf’s Longest Day, Vero Beach’s own Tyler Collett narrowly missed securing a bid after a tense sudden-death playoff at the regional Florida qualifier.
The high-stakes tournament took place on Monday, June 8, at the BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens. The event drew heavy competition, including established PGA Tour professionals with numerous career victories, such as Matt Kuchar, Luke Clanton, Matthieu Pavon, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
Despite the star-studded professional field, the qualifier was ultimately dominated by rising amateur and junior talent. Collett found himself in a dramatic 3-for-2 sudden-death playoff against fellow amateur Ryder Cowan and the nation’s top-ranked junior golfer, Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach. Adding a layer of star power to the grouping, Russell was notably caddied by Charlie Woods, son of golf legend Tiger Woods.
The sudden-death playoff provided a nail-biting finale to the tournament. Cowan secured par on the first playoff hole to claim the initial available qualifier spot. The battle for the final bid moved to the second playoff hole, where Collett unfortunately hit into the water hazard, allowing Russell to birdie and clinch his place in the U.S. Open.
While the outcome was certainly heartbreaking for our local contender, Collett’s ability to outlast seasoned PGA Tour veterans and push the nation’s top junior prospects to the absolute brink is a tremendous testament to the elite level of golfing talent cultivated right here in Indian River County.
Event Highlights and Final Qualifiers:
- Giuseppe Puebla: The Royal Palm Beach junior, and University of Florida commit, shot 7-under across two rounds to finish tied for first.
- Miles Russell: The Jacksonville Beach native secured the final spot after defeating Vero Beach’s Collett in the final playoff.
- Advancing Field: Ryder Cowan and Ben Silverman also successfully advanced from the intense Florida qualifying field to punch their tickets.
The 2026 U.S. Open will be hosted from June 18-21 at the historic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. Though Vero Beach will not have Tyler Collett representing the city on the major leaderboard this year, his spectacular run serves as a proud moment for the Treasure Coast sports community.
