Charlie Woods earned his first USGA championship Wednesday when the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods earned the highest score among qualifiers for the US Junior Amateur next month at Oakland Hills.
The teenager recovered from a bogey-double bogey start at Eagle Trace Golf Club to finish with a 1-under 71 to be the medalist for his ranking, one of four players to qualify at the site.
“I didn’t play very well on my first two holes, but I played very well on the last 16. I just told myself not to make any more bogeys or doubles and took advantage of some nice birdie looks when I got them,” he said. saying.
Tiger Woods was 14 years old when he qualified for his first junior tournament in the United States and reached the semifinals.
He won his first US Junior Amateur a year later at Bay Hill in 19 holes. Woods is the only player to have won the US Junior three times in a row.
Tiger Woods is seen practicing with his son Charlie ahead of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst
Charlie is becoming an impressive golfer at the young age of 15.
Players must be under 19 years old before the championship ends.
The US Junior Amateur will be held July 22-28 in Oakland Hills, suburban Detroit. Charlie will be among 264 players who will go through 36 holes of stroke play on the North and South Oakland Hills courses to determine which 64 players advance to match play.
Tiger Woods is a nine-time USGA champion: three consecutive US Junior Amateur titles, three consecutive US Amateur titles and three US Open titles.
“The USGA means a lot to me,” Charlie Woods said.
“I want to win USGA championships and hopefully one day the US Open.”
Tiger was 14 years old when he qualified for his first US Junior and reached the semi-finals.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour granted the legendary Woods a lifetime exemption from its signature events.
Starting in 2025, Woods will be guaranteed a spot in the Tour’s eight $20 million signature events, as a “player who has reached an exceptional lifetime achievement threshold of 80 (plus) career wins,” the statement reads. a memo sent to the players.
Woods has barely played this season and missed the cut at the US Open last weekend.
