USA: Charlie Woods, a high school junior and the son of the iconic golfing star, Tiger Woods, claimed his first American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) title.
The young athlete competed against 71 top junior golfers from around the world, including the AJGA’s top-ranked player, and had an impressive performance at the Team TaylorMade Invitational at Streamsong Resort in Florida.
He defeated golfers Willie Gordon, Luke Colton, and Phillip Dunham with a 15-under par three-shot win. More so, he won against Miles Russell, AJGA No. 1, who then placed seventh at 9-under.
American Jr Golf Association shared in a social media post: “Just the beginning for Charlie Woods!”
Netizens expressed their support in the comments section and said: “I hope this young man has a fantastic career going forward in golf or whatever he chooses”, “Congrats 🎉 Charlie. Just remember, you be you. Don’t worry about those big shoes to fill. In time you will. Just be Charlie!!!!!”, and “I am very happy for you. Hard work pays off.”
Highlights of the tournament
Young Woods began the final round with a birdie and a bogey but then caught fire with six birdies over the next nine holes, where he pulled three shots ahead of the field.
He then had a bogey on the 13th hole but made up for it by driving the green on the 14th hole and sinking a birdie putt. Woods had good results with pars on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, and he continued his three-shot lead going into the final hole, a long 586-yard par-5.
Charlie made one last par there to finish the tournament with a strong 6-under 66, which secured his title. Now, he is ranked No. 606 in the AJGA standings. Before this victory, his best result in an AJGA event was tying for 25th place back in March.
Tiger’s hopes for Charlie
Tiger has been declaring his high hopes for Charlie’s future in golf. The professional golfer had noticed that his son’s frustrations often take over, which leads to worse scores. Drawing from his own experience, he gave his son some advice back in 2021:
“Son, I don’t care how mad you get… Your head could blow off for all I care, just as long as you’re 100 percent committed to the next shot. That’s all that matters. That next shot should be the most important shot in your life. It should be more important than breathing. Once you understand that concept, then I think you’ll get better.”
It is expected that many top golf programs will be eager to recruit Charlie Woods because of his talents and potential, even though he is still undecided about his college career as of now.