Tiger Woods' son Charlie makes huge jump in standard to win biggest prize of career to date
The 16-year-old son of Tiger Woods, perhaps the most famous golfer ever to have played the game, undoubtedly made his father proud with a final-round 66 to win the Team TaylorMade Invitational in Bowling Green, Florida on Wednesday by three strokes. Woods jnr can now call himself a champion on the world's premier youth circuit.
The teenager from The Benjamin School − the independent establishment near to where his divorced parents both live − came into the prestigious event way down in 604th in the American Junior Golf Association rankings, with his best finish in five starts a tie for 25th in March.
There was an impressive victory in the 14-15-year-old category, as well as the Last Chance Regional later in 2023, but this was a huge jump in standard.
Yet despite the 54-hole invitational event obviously being for select players only, Woods silenced the mutterings of special treatment and emphatically justified his sponsor inclusion by leaving behind the likes of star amateur Miles Russell. He stormed through his six-under effort on the 7,249-yard Streamsong Black layout, that is longer than some PGA Tour stops.
The fact that Russell was left trailing in seventh will certainly raise eyebrows. Last year, when still in high school, Russell became the youngest player to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour − the PGA Tour's main feeder circuit − when he tied for 20th at the LECOM Suncoast Classic.
That earned him two starts on the Tour proper and at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Russell's scoring average was sub-70. Luke Colton, the 17-year-old who is another established member in the world's top five, was also in the field and the highly rated Texan was fancied to prevail when he took a one-shot lead into the last round.
However, Woods, who opened the tournament with a 70 and a 65, made five birdies on the opening nine to grasp the advantage and then birdied three of his next four, before coasting into the clubhouse with four straight pars.
It was reminiscent of the great man himself and added so much substance to the hype that he had attracted since he first played with his father in the PGA Tour's parent-child feature-piece − the PNC Championship − in 2020 as an 11-year-old. The pair have yet to win that event, but social media has long been in rapture for the swing similarities between the duo.
However, Woods snr has remained adamant that he will realise his ambition and eventually crack the big time if he sticks to being himself. 'Yeah, I mean, I just am always reminding him, just be you,' he said last year.
'Charlie is Charlie. Yes, he's my son. He's going to have the last name and he's going to be part of the sport. But I just want him to be himself and just be his own person. That's what we will always focus on.
'Being constantly filmed and constantly just − people watching him, that's just part of his generation, and that's part of the world that he has to manoeuvre through. I try to do the best job I possibly can as a parent. I'm always here for him. But at the end of the day, I just want him to be himself and have his own life.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Fuming Rory McIlroy aims blast at golf media while explaining his press boycott after USPGA Championship
RORY McILROY was 'p*** ed off' that news of his driver failing technical standards was leaked at last month's USPGA Championship. Scottie Scheffler's club also failed a similar test. Failures are supposed to be confidential but 2 Yesterday he spoke to the media for the first time since the driver controversy Credit: Getty 2 He cited how Scottie Scheffler's driver had also failed a random specifications test Credit: Getty The Masters champ left Quail Hollow without speaking a word in public. But ahead of teeing off today in the Canadian Open, McIlroy, 36 said: 'I was a little bit p***ed off because I knew Scottie's driver had failed but my name was the one that was leaked. 'It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it." Two days before the tournament was due to start, the Holywood golfer had the club pulled from his bag after official testing showed it had crossed the so-called 'trampoline effect' threshold — when the face of the club becomes more springy. Read More On Irish Sport Quail Hollow champ Scheffler's driver also failed the same test but that information never became public until the world No 1 volunteered it at his winner's press conference. Explaining why he didn't complain at the time, McIlroy said: 'I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted. 'With Scottie's stuff, that's not my information to share. That process is supposed to be kept confidential and it wasn't for whatever reason. That's why I was pretty annoyed at that.' McIlroy, a two-time Canadian Open winner, added: 'The PGA was a bit of a weird week. Most read in Golf "I didn't play well the first day, so I wanted to go practice, so that was fine. 'Second day, we finished late and I wanted to go back and see my daughter Poppy before she went to bed. Amanda Balionis accused by Scottie Scheffler of 'trying to get him emotional' during live TV interview "The driver news broke - I didn't really want to speak on that. Saturday, I was meant to tee off at 8:20 in the morning. "I didn't tee off until almost two o'clock in the afternoon - another late finish. I was just tired and wanted to go home. 'And on Sunday, I just wanted to get on the plane and go back to Florida.' NOT MANADATORY In a warning to the assembled media, the five-time major winner said he could boycott the tournament's press pack if he wanted to as PGA Tour rules do not require players to speak with them. He added: 'From a responsibility standpoint - I understand - if we all wanted to, we could bypass you guys and just go on social media to talk about our round and do it our own way. 'We understand that's not ideal for you guys, because there's a bigger dynamic at play here. I talk to you guys, and I talk to the media a lot. 'I think there should be an understanding that this is a two-way street. "As much as we need to speak to you guys, we also understand the benefit of you being here — giving us the platform and everything else. I understand that. 'But again, I've been beating this drum for a long time — if they want to make it mandatory, that's fine. But in our rules, it says that it's not [obligatory to speak to the media]. 'Until the day it's written into the rules, you're going to have guys that skip from time to time - and that's well within our rights.'
Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy tournament snub backfires as he pays the price
Scottie Scheffler has surged to the top of the PGA Tour's earnings list, overtaking Rory McIlroy after a stunning victory at the Memorial Tournament on Sunday. The win pocketed Scheffler a hefty $4million, boosting his 2025 earnings to an eye-watering $14.6 million, just ahead of McIlroy's $14 million. The American golfer has been on fire this season, participating in 12 events and earning over $1m in five of them. His latest prize from the Memorial Tournament is his largest yet, eclipsing the $3.4m he won at the PGA Championship and significantly outstripping the $1.8m from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the $1m from the Masters. Fellow competitor Sepp Straka, who finished just behind Scheffler at Muirfield Village, lauded his competitive spirit: "He loves competition, and he doesn't like giving up shots," Straka observed. "The guy is relentless." Scheffler's recent triumph also marks a remarkable streak, with back-to-back wins at the Memorial - a feat only Tiger Woods had managed before - highlighting his exceptional form. His dominance extends to last month's win at Quail Hollow, cementing his status as the golfer everyone is keeping their eyes on, reports the Express. Scheffler's triumph marks his fifth title in a $20m event and his third win in four starts this season, matching McIlroy for the most victories in 2025. McIlroy's strategic decision to skip Muirfield Village - reportedly to focus on the remaining two majors - appears to have backfired, both financially and competitively. The Memorial, known for its elite field and hefty prize money, hosted eight of the world's top 10 players, making it one of the year's key stages for prestige, points, and earnings. McIlroy's absence allowed 28 year old Scheffler to take the spotlight unopposed, surpassing his rival in the rankings while solidifying his grip on the world No.1 spot. Meanwhile, McIlroy has been open about his plan to arrange his schedule around the majors, aiming to be in top form as each tournament begins. After finally clinching the elusive Masters title in April, many expected the 36 year old to dominate. However, his performance since Augusta has been inconsistent, leading to rumours about whether momentum is waning at a crucial point. In contrast, Scheffler continues to ascend. The battle between Scheffler and McIlroy is far from over, with the U.S. Open and The Open Championship still to come. However, the current narrative is clear: one is riding a wave of consistent excellence, while the other pins his hopes on his long game - in every sense - delivering results at the critical moments.
Irish Examiner
20 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Jack Nicklaus: A tough road ahead for Tiger Woods' son
GOLF's hard enough without having a famous father who set a standard hard to match even by the very best. Tiger Woods is certain to watch that unfold over the next several years. Jack Nicklaus already has seen it. A few hours before Scottie Scheffler set out to win the Memorial for the second straight year, Nicklaus was asked about another big win that week. Charlie Woods, the 16-year-old son of the biggest name in golf, won his first American Junior Golf Association title. It's a wonder which win — Scheffler or Woods — got more attention on social media. 'I think it's tough on kids,' Nicklaus said, speaking from experience. His oldest son, Jackie, won the prestigious North & South Amateur at Pinehurst and played his college golf at North Carolina. That was nothing compared with his third-oldest son. Long before Gary Nicklaus became the only one of the four golden cubs to earn a PGA Tour card, he made the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was 16. 'The Next Nicklaus,' said the headline. The father remembers it clearly. 'It ran him out of golf,' Nicklaus said. Some context is required. Gary Nicklaus played four years at Ohio State (one title), earned a European tour card and got through Q-school in 1999 to earn a PGA Tour card. But Nicklaus felt the publicity was too much for his son at that age. 'Gary would get off the 18th and run to the car so he didn't have to talk to the press for about two years,' he said. 'Sports Illustrated said they wanted to do a story. We said, 'No cover, none of that.' They put it right on the cover. It was not nice what they did.' Nicklaus also thought the publicity was over the top when his grandson, G.T., made an ace in the Par 3 Contest before the 2018 Masters. 'That's the kind of things you've really got to try to avoid with kids,' he said. 'It's difficult for them. It's even tougher today. Charlie is a nice little player. He's got a beautiful little golf swing. Does he want to follow his father? Does he realise what's going on?' Woods was in the Detroit area last summer when his son qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur. Charlie attracted the largest gallery, said to be 10 times the size of a normal crowd for that event. Or were they there to see his father? Nicklaus knows that feeling, too. 'Gary would always say, 'I wonder how many people are going to come out watching my father watch me?' Nicklaus said with a chuckle. He doesn't know much about Charlie Woods except for what he occasionally sees on television, and Nicklaus is impressed with the swing. A lot of juniors have great swings. The depth today at the highest levels of golf is evident long before these kids start getting courtesy cars. Charlie Woods made his TV debut at age 11 in the PNC Championship, the tournament that pairs major champions with a family member. The son has grown, matured and, after two years, Woods allowed Charlie to join him in post-round interviews, as the rest of the field does. He handled that well, too. It is not unusual for sons to follow their fathers in golf, but matching success is rare. Old Tom and Young Tom Morris (each won the British Open four times) were the exception. The art is letting the children discover the joy of the game and motivation to compete. 'My kids played because they wanted to play, not because I wanted them to play,' Nicklaus said. 'That was sort of my rule of the house. Don't play golf because of me, play golf because that's what you want to do. That's what they wanted to do. 'Then they figured out over a period of time they weren't going to get to where they wanted to get, and they decided to do other things.' Woods was renowned for dominating at every age group as he worked his way into the record book with three straight U.S. Juniors and three straight U.S. Amateurs. As feats go, it's up there with his 142 cuts in a row and his 15-shot victory in the U.S. Open. He didn't try to qualify for his first U.S. Open until he was exempt through the first stage when he was 16. He shot 151 at Lake Merced in San Francisco and failed to get to Pebble Beach for the 1992 U.S. Open. Charlie Woods has tried two U.S. Open qualifiers and has yet to get out of the first stage. He's trying. He's competing. His father, by all accounts, is giving him space in a culture where that doesn't often allow for that. 'I just am always reminding him, 'Just be you,'' Woods said last year at the PNC Championship. 'Charlie is Charlie. Yes, he's my son. He's going to have the last name and he's going to be part of the sport. But I just want him to be himself and just be your own person. That's what we will always focus on. I will always encourage it, for him to carve his own name, carve his own path and have his own journey.' The father knows better than anyone it's no small task. Every time Charlie plays a junior tournament, cameras — usually phones — are sure to follow, especially when Woods is around. 'In this day and age where you have so many different ... everyone is basically media with all the phones,' Woods said. 'Being constantly filmed and people watching him, that's just part of his generation, and that's part of the world that he has to maneuver through. I try and do the best job I possibly can as a parent. I'm always here for him. 'But at the end of the day, I just want him just to be himself and have his own life.' As the son of Tiger Woods, that might be tougher than golf itself. Associated Press
