Charlie Woods Qualifies for U.S. Junior Amateur, Beating 85 Others

Charlie Woods is headed to the U.S. Junior Amateur after he beat 85 other golfers to take home the trophy at a qualifying event in Florida.

Woods shot a one-under 71 at Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Florida, on Wednesday, good enough to earn him entry into the U.S. Junior Am, which his Dad, Tiger, won three times in a row from 1991 to 1993.

It was Woods’s first victory in the USGA circuit and puts him well on his way to potentially making some noise on the junior circuit. He has played in two other American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events recently, according to Golf Digest, where he tied for 32nd and tied for 28th.

Charlie Woods looking good to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills. Imagine the intimidation factor if Tiger’s on the bag… pic.twitter.com/LBvK7GMVNH

— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) June 19, 2024

Woods talked about his performance on Wednesday, stating his big focus for the round was to avoid making any scores that would cost him a good scorecard:

“I didn’t play great my first two holes, but I played really good for the last 16. I just told myself not to make any more bogeys or doubles, and I took advantage of some nice birdie looks when I had them. Putting was my biggest strength today. I made a lot of putts when I needed to.”

Charlie also has a chance to follow in the footsteps of his father, but he will have tremendous shoes to fill. Tiger won the U.S. Junior Am in 1991, 1992, and 1993, but then went on to dominate the U.S. Amateur in 1994, 1995, and 1996. He then won The Masters in 1997 by a 12-stroke margin over Tom Kite.

As for Charlie, he isn’t worried about being his father. Instead, he just wants to focus on his own goals and winning what tournaments he can:

“The USGA means a lot to me. I want to win USGA championships and hopefully one day the U.S. Open.”

Cover Image via Sports Illustrated