A Victim of Tiger Woods’s Megastardom, Son Charlie Desperately Needs His Bold US Open Bid to Pay Off
Being the golf son, the Grand Taiger Woods has its disadvantages and professionals. On the one hand, Charlie Woods studies the best of the best, and on the other hand, he should face a constant control and bear the weight of expectations that strike at his door because he chose golf as a career. Charlie has yet to achieve the remarkable success his father achieved at the age of 15 in his amateur career.
And as new talent emerges in the golf world, the pressure is on for Woods to succeed and not get drowned out by expectations or overshadowed by his rivals. In this entry, Charlie Woods is expected to succeed in the Pinehurst Chase.
Disappointing victory for Charlie Woods in 2024
Charlie Woods will compete in an 18-hole U.S. Open qualifying match at Legacy Golf and Tennis Club in Florida on Thursday. The 15-year-old is looking to qualify for the 76th U.S. Open and make a name for himself in the golf world, despite being under a lot of pressure and failing to prove himself so far. In late March, Woods was granted sponsorship status to compete in the AJGA-sanctioned Will Lowry Junior Championship. This will be his AJGA debut.
The Florida native was expected to finish in first place. But the 15-year-old started the first round with a 6-over 78 with three birdies, two double bogeys and five singles. In the end, he shot 81 and 78 in the final two rounds, resulting in a tie at 32, 21-237. Woods was more than 20 strokes behind the winner, Patmon Malcolm. And that wasn’t the only disappointment for Tiger Woods’ son this year. Prior to his AJGA debut, the junior golfer participated in qualifying for the Courant Classic.
This news brought many fans to the field, making the situation a little dicey. Amid the chaos, Woods shot a 16-over 86 and missed out on playing in Palm Beach with the other PGA Tour pros. Woods still has a long way to go to catch amateurs like 15-year-old Myles Russell, who beat Tiger to qualify for a PGA Tour-sanctioned event and became the youngest player to win the AJGA Rolex Boys POY, a record Woods set at 32. Another amateur golfer who will give Woods stiff competition is Gordon Sargent, known for his driving speeds of 185 to 190 mph and hailed by Max Homa as a “phenomenal golfer.” Although similar honors remain on Woods’ resume, the question remains: Will he be able to match his father’s accomplishments at age 15?
What did Tiger Woods’ resume look like at age 15? At the age of 15, Tiger Woods had already established himself as a talented golfer. By then, Woods had won five junior titles and became the youngest amateur to win his first U.S. junior tournament. In contrast, Charlie Woods has yet to win a junior title and is still months away from winning the U.S. Junior Championship.
But if Woods wants to match his father’s record of three U.S. junior wins, he will have to prepare harder. The 15-time major winner, who joined Woods in 1991 at the age of 15, was also named Golf Digest POY’s U.S. Amateur of the Week and ranked as the best amateur player in Southern California.
Charlie Woods is still winless heading into the 2024 season, so it’s still difficult for him to receive as much praise as his father. But the qualifying rounds for the 2024 U.S. Open could allow Woods to move beyond the shadow of his fellow amateurs and his father’s enduring legacy.
