Charlie Woods, the son of golfing superstar Tiger, will have to wait another year to realize his dream of reaching the U.S. Open after falling short of qualification for the second time in a row.
The 16-year-old, whose opinion on his dad dating Vanessa Trump recently emerged, is tipped to potentially follow in the footsteps of his world-famous father in embarking on a professional career in the game. The teenager has certainly demonstrated the promise when it comes to his abilities, too, having set a new record at the 2020 PNC Championship as the youngest player to take part at the age of just 11.
He teed off alongside his 15-time major winner dad, duly following this up by doing so in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 too. He also took part in his first pre-qualifying tournament for a PGA Tour event at the Cognizant Classic. However, the his quest to take part in the next U.S. Open has ended at a regional qualifying tournament at Wellington Golf Club, Florida.
Taking part in the event in his home state, Woods Jr. shot a three-over-par 75 – falling short of the 68 required to book his Final Qualifying place. This is the second successive year that the aspiring player has been unable to get over this hurdle – meaning he will miss the tournament at Oakmont.
Previous to this, the teenager’s father has spoke in glowing terms about how his son has helped him to overcome physical and mental challenges in recent times. After his car crash in 2021 left him with serious injuries and subsequent fitness issues, PEOPLE reported that the golf legend has been able to count on the support of Charlie.
“Being a dad has helped him stay focused on his recovery,” they claimed. “At times, it’s been very difficult for him both physically and mentally.
“His leg injuries caused him extreme pain … He has worked very hard in physical therapy. He is a fighter and has been determined to get better, though.”
“Tiger loves spending time with Charlie on the golf course, but he has a completely different vibe than Earl had while working with him.
“They’re all smiles. Tiger is definitely teaching him the right techniques, but there’s not the intensity that Earl had with him,” the source explained. “It’s a total bonding situation. Tiger can get goofy and funny with Charlie. It’s not ‘all work and no play’ like Earl could sometimes get.”
A devoted father, Tiger spoke to ESPN about his love for playing golf with his son. He said: “Any time I get a chance to spend time with my son, it’s always special. And to do it in a competitive forum, the last couple of years have been magical, and to be able to do it again, we’re looking forward to it.”
