Grew up in Milford, Connecticut and honed his game at Great River Golf Club.

Prepped at Hamden Hall Country Day in Connecticut. The golf team's home course was New Haven Country Club, a noted Willie Park Jr. design.

Earned PGA TOUR membership as the No. 1 player from the 2026 PGA TOUR University Ranking after four seasons at University of Virginia (2022-26).

Played four seasons at University of Virginia (2022-26), where he earned seven individual victories, tying Ben Kohles' school record for career wins; his victories included the 2024 Valero Texas Collegiate, which earned him an exemption for the 2025 Valero Texas Open on the PGA TOUR.

Became the fifth collegiate golfer in history to earn four All-America First Team honors, following Gary Hallberg (1977-80 at Wake Forest University), Phil Mickelson (1989-92 at Arizona State University), David Duval (1990-93 at Georgia Tech), and Bryce Molder (1998-2001 at Georgia Tech).

Finished T2 individually at the 2024 NCAA Championship and led Virginia to its best finish in program history at the 2025 NCAA Championship, where the Cavaliers finished as the runners-up to Oklahoma State University. James went 3-0 in match play in 2025, including a win over Oklahoma State's Preston Stout in the final.

Named the 2023 Division I Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award winner.

Qualified for match play at four consecutive U.S. Amateur Championships (2022-25), with his best showing being a quarterfinals appearance in 2023 at Merion Golf Club.

Made his PGA TOUR debut as a sponsor exemption at the 2022 Travelers Championship, a field which also featured Chris Gotterup, Cole Hammer, and Michael Thorbjornsen as sponsor exemptions.

Won the 2021 Junior PLAYERS Championship, posting a four-stroke victory over Nick Dunlap.

Represented the United States at the 2019 Junior Presidents Cup (under captain Justin Leonard), the 2023 and 2025 Walker Cups, and the 2023 and 2024 Arnold Palmer Cups.