Tiger Woods has made his worries about son Charlie clear as he shows attitude
Tiger Woods has always been keen to shield his son Charlie from the pressures of fame, and the 16-year-old's recent success on the golf course suggests he's doing just that
Tiger Woods has consistently protected his son Charlie, doing his best to guard him against the intense expectations tied to being the child of a golfing legend. Charlie, now 16, continues to impress on the junior golf circuit, but Tiger's priority remains the same: he wants his son to live like a regular teenager, not be weighed down by comparisons to his father.
Still, Charlie's recent achievements - notably his triumph at the Team TaylorMade Invitational this week - show that he's not only handling the attention but excelling with poise and composure. His standout performance at the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournament, held at Florida's Streamsong Resort's Black Course, was a major moment in his budding career.
Finishing with a final-round 66 to close at 15-under-par, he outperformed a competitive group that included six of the top-10 junior golfers in the nation. That victory rocketed Charlie more than 500 spots up the AJGA leaderboard, landing him at No. 14 and securing an invitation to the elite Rolex Junior All-American event. His scorecard spoke volumes - he tallied 17 birdies and an eagle over three rounds.
Tiger, who is recovering from Achilles surgery, was recently seen watching Charlie play in the Florida Amateur Championship, cheering him on from a golf cart. His attendance was both a sign of support and a reminder of his protective nature.
The American, 49, has repeatedly stated that Charlie is forging his own identity. Speaking on the Another Golf Podcast back in 2022, Tiger said: "He's a kid. Don't compare him to me because he's not me. He's Charlie."
Despite being under constant watch, Charlie's approach has been impressive. Following his AJGA success, he showed a calm confidence that echoed his father's early demeanour, yet remained uniquely his.
"I didn't look at the leaderboard once today," Charlie said, channelling Tiger's mental discipline. "On the fairway after hitting the green on 18, [my caddie] was like: 'You make par here, you're going to be fine.'"
Toby Harbeck, Charlie's coach at the prestigious Benjamin School in Florida, said that Charlie is "tough on himself", but believes that trait, if nurtured, could push him to achieve greatness.
His bounce-back mentality - evident after narrowly missing US Open qualification for the second time - continues to set him apart. At the Team TaylorMade Invitational, a sizzling 7-under 65 in the second round put him firmly in the mix, drawing parallels to a young Jordan Spieth for his aggressive style and confidence.
Still, extraordinary potential brings immense pressure, and Tiger remains committed to shielding Charlie from as much of that as he can. "When we're out there playing, I'm his dad, so I'm protective of him," Woods Sr. said.
"Obviously, I want him to do the best he possibly can. I want him to learn from everything. But I also want to protect him from, like, all of this. The environment. Especially this day and age.
"When I grew up, there were no camera phones, there were no videos. I try to shoo people away, 'Let him enjoy, don't put any pressure on him, let him play, let him be a kid, OK?'"
Tiger's unease with the modern spotlight is understandable, having faced it himself from a young age. Yet Charlie's recent rise shows he's not just surviving the moment - he's flourishing.
His composure in pressure-packed events, combined with a grounded mindset, signals a promising trajectory. While comparisons to his father will always follow, Tiger believes that very strength will allow Charlie to forge his own distinct path.
"He's going to be his own person. And whatever road he goes down, he's going to go down his own road. And he's going to create his own path," the 15-time major winner said. "That, to me, is so important as a father, that I provide that environment and that support. That he can go down whatever path he wants to, I just want him to do the best at it."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
38 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Coco Gauff admits French Open win ‘wasn't pretty' after beating Aryna Sabalenka
Coco Gauff admitted her first French Open title win 'wasn't pretty' after she battled Aryna Sabalenka and the elements to reign on the Paris clay. The 21-year-old American, seeded second, came from a set down to beat world number one Sabalenka 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-4. A stiff breeze swirled around Court Philippe-Chatrier and contributed to a combined total of 100 unforced errors and 15 breaks of serve. It was Gauff who coped better with the conditions to add the Roland Garros title to her 2023 US Open crown. 'it was super tough when I walked on the court and felt the wind because we warmed up with the roof closed,' she said. 'I was, like, 'this is going to be a tough day', and I knew it was just going to be about willpower and mental. 'It really came down to the last few points, but overall I'm just really happy with the fight that I managed today. 'It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done, and that's all that matters.' NEW QUEEN OF PARIS 👑 #RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2025 It was the first time the top two women's seeds had contested a Roland Garros final since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in 2013. Sabalenka edged a tie-break to win the opening set, which at 77 minutes lasted nine minutes longer than the entire match the last time Gauff was in the Roland Garros final, a chastening 6-1 6-3 defeat by Iga Swiatek three years ago. But at the start of the second Gauff inflicted a fifth successive break of the Sabalenka serve and finished it with an overhead Gauff was the more composed player by now and edged a break ahead in the decider, while Sabalenka moodily eyeballed her coaching team in the players' box. Sabalenka drew level at 3-3 but promptly double-faulted to give Gauff three break points, and she dispatched the first with another precise swish of her backhand. At 5-3 the 27-year-old Belarusian bravely held to make Gauff serve the match out. In keeping with the previous two hours and 38 minutes, a match point came and went, as did a break point. But when the second chance arrived and Sabalenka swung wide, an elated, tearful Gauff fell to the clay as she celebrated a stunning win. Sabalenka, a vivacious presence throughout the fortnight both in person and via her social media output, was an uncharacteristically ungracious loser. 'I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame,' she said. 'Somehow, magically the ball lands in the court, and you're kind of on the back foot. 'It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, 'let's see if you can handle this'. 'I was just making unforced errors. I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes, kind of like from easy balls.'
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Coco Gauff admits French Open win ‘wasn't pretty' after beating Aryna Sabalenka
The 21-year-old American, seeded second, came from a set down to beat world number one Sabalenka 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-4. A stiff breeze swirled around Court Philippe-Chatrier and contributed to a combined total of 100 unforced errors and 15 breaks of serve. It was Gauff who coped better with the conditions to add the Roland Garros title to her 2023 US Open crown. 'it was super tough when I walked on the court and felt the wind because we warmed up with the roof closed,' she said. 'I was, like, 'this is going to be a tough day', and I knew it was just going to be about willpower and mental. 'It really came down to the last few points, but overall I'm just really happy with the fight that I managed today. 'It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done, and that's all that matters.' NEW QUEEN OF PARIS 👑#RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2025 It was the first time the top two women's seeds had contested a Roland Garros final since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in 2013. Sabalenka edged a tie-break to win the opening set, which at 77 minutes lasted nine minutes longer than the entire match the last time Gauff was in the Roland Garros final, a chastening 6-1 6-3 defeat by Iga Swiatek three years ago. But at the start of the second Gauff inflicted a fifth successive break of the Sabalenka serve and finished it with an overhead Gauff was the more composed player by now and edged a break ahead in the decider, while Sabalenka moodily eyeballed her coaching team in the players' box. Sabalenka drew level at 3-3 but promptly double-faulted to give Gauff three break points, and she dispatched the first with another precise swish of her backhand. At 5-3 the 27-year-old Belarusian bravely held to make Gauff serve the match out. In keeping with the previous two hours and 38 minutes, a match point came and went, as did a break point. But when the second chance arrived and Sabalenka swung wide, an elated, tearful Gauff fell to the clay as she celebrated a stunning win. Sabalenka, a vivacious presence throughout the fortnight both in person and via her social media output, was an uncharacteristically ungracious loser. 'I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame,' she said. 'Somehow, magically the ball lands in the court, and you're kind of on the back foot. 'It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, 'let's see if you can handle this'. 'I was just making unforced errors. I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes, kind of like from easy balls.'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
6 surging Rangers transfer headlines that go beyond Coady and Turgeman as £20m vision faces strict timeline
Russell Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell are scouring the globe for new recruits New Rangers boss Russell Martin is looking to add some new talent to the Ibrox dressing room before pre-season kicks off. That gives sporting director Kevin Thelwell until June 23 to snap up some new talent - with Conor Coady and Dor Turgerman on the agenda. Negotiations have started with Leicester City over a potential deal to bring in experience Coady - while rising talent Turgerman has opened the door to a move by admitting he is ready to leave Maccabi Tel Aviv. But with the American revolution in full flow at Ibrox, CEO Patrick Stewart has promised Martin he'll be handed a significant chunk of the £20million set to be injected in the Premiership giants by their new owners.. So, who else could be coming in? And who could be shown the door? Record Sport takes a look. Metinho Troyes' midfielder Metinho has caught Rangers' eye after a successful loan at FC Basel last term. But the Light Blues' face a battle to land the £5million-rated star as they prepare for his signature with the Swiss champions - who are looking to make the deal permanent despite not holding an option to buy. BaZ report it is "unclear" if Basel will be able to secure a return and meeting the valuation - leaving the door open for a move to Ibrox. Largie Ramazani Reports in Spain suggest Leeds United's Largie Ramazani is a target for the Light Blues' this summer - just a year on from his £10million move to Elland Road from Almeria. And former Leeds' goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged the club to cut their losses with the winger, telling MOT Leeds News:" He's struggled to get in the side this season and I think at times, to his detriment, he's been an impact player off the bench. And I think that's maybe how the manager sees him. "And if they can get better than what they've got, which is what they have to do to stay in the Premier League, he could be one that's allowed to leave. 'He had a little spell of games, didn't he, in the Championship, but didn't play regularly, week in and week out. And he may be one where Leeds need to cut their cloth accordingly. He may be one that's allowed to move on.' Cyriel Dessers The striker has already revealed he has interest from Greece this summer - but while on international duty he has set himself the goal of scoring more for Rangers. When asked about his lack of recent caps for Nigeria, he said: 'I'm not the one making the choices. So, the only thing I can do is to perform well and score goals at my club … to ensure that I'm ready to be called up. 'Once I'm called upon, I should be able to show what I can do for the team. That I would have to do with goals, hard work and dedication,' Nedim Bajrami Nedim Bajrami will hope to impress his new boss when he returns for pre-season - with Record Sport understanding the Albanian is keen to stay in Glasgow and fight for his place in the team. After a disappointing first season in Scotland, reports in Albania suggest that clubs in Germany and Italy are on alert for a potential deal. Harry Darling He has already been signed twice by Russell Martin at MK Dons and then for Swansea City - but Record Sport understands Rangers are currently not in the race for his signature as his contract ticks down. Director of football Richard Montague says Swansea remains hopeful Harry Darling will sign a new deal with the club - despite reports that Norwich City are leading the race for the soon-to-be free agent. He told Wales Online: 'The ball is very much in Harry's court. "We made him what we thought was a very strong offer and I believe he would think is a very strong offer. Jamie Vardy It would be a landmark signing for the new owners - and Rangers are said to be among the club chasing Jamie Vardy after his Leicester City exit. The signing race for the 38-year-old appears to have lost a club - with Wrexham transfer consultant Les Reed telling the i: "Let's take an equivalent of Jamie Vardy. "Everyone thinks he's out of contract, there's no transfer fee, Wrexham could do that. You're talking about players who are on £140,000 a week. "We are a million miles away from that. There is a certain level of Premier League player who, if they are on £100k to 150k-a-week, are still going to get closer to that if they move to the MLS or Saudi Arabia than if they go to Wrexham." Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
