This curious Miles Russell decision in U.S. Amateur loss was tactical

In the 126th U.S. Amateur, world-ranked 8th amateur Ryder Cowan secured a 2 and 1 victory over 4th-ranked Miles Russell in the first-round match. A pivotal moment in the match occurred on the par-3 13th hole when Cowan narrowly missed the hole with his birdie putt, leaving Russell with a par opportunity. At that juncture, Russell opted not to use Cowan's ball mark as a guide for his own birdie attempt, despite it appearing to be an advantageous reference point.

Cowan explained that Russell's decision was strategic, as he wanted to create a mental image for himself of where he needed to position his ball to secure the birdie. Russell, however, acknowledged that his putt was poorly executed and that the mark's influence on the putt's path was minimal. Despite this tactical decision, Cowan remained unfazed, stating that he could see the value in using ball marks as aiming aids, even though he personally did not prefer the practice.