Charlie Woods Falls Short of Major Breakthrough – But His Bright Future Isn’t Over Yet
Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie Woods, just missed out on a huge opportunity.
Tiger Woods competed at the Junior PGA Championship, and put in a great performance at West Lafayette to finish in the top 10. In doing so, he proved himself as one of the elite junior golfers in the country.
He was in contention for the win, but a poor final round performance saw him tumble down the order. He still hung on to a T9 finish. Woods was in contention to qualify for a huge opportunity this weekend, but his Sunday performance meant he missed out.
Going into the final day at West Lafayette, Woods was in contention to qualify for Team USA’s Junior Ryder Cup team. He had to finish in the top two and was tied for second going into the final round after a nine-birdie second round. But his ninth-place finish saw him miss out.
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Woods shot three over par on the final day to miss out on the opportunity. He was seven shots back of the lead with 18 holes to play, so Woods was not in realistic contention for the win, but he’ll be disappointed with his finish.
His top-nine finish gives him an automatic invite to next year’s Junior PGA Tournament at Fields Range in Frisco, Texas, so there’s a positive to take from his performance. Woods also has a chance to be a captain’s pick for the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team. That will be announced on Tuesday.
Playing in the Junior Ryder Cup would see Woods follow in the footsteps of Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas as a young amateur looking to crack into the professional game.
Aged 16, Charlie Woods is showing flashes of potential. He won his first AJGA title in May and has put in solid performances during the year. His showing at West Lafayette is yet another promising sign.
Comparing him to Tiger is unfair, however. He’ll never be able to fill those shoes. Tiger’s amateur record was historic. He won eight AJGA events in 13 tournaments, competed in his first U.S. Junior Amateur at the age of 14, and went on to win it three consecutive times.
