Charlie Woods is in the hunt at another top amateur golf tournament just over a week after picking up his first major junior victory.
Woods, a rising junior at the Benjamin School and the son of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, fired 74 (2-over) in the first round of the 108th Amateur Championship hosted by the Florida State Golf Association on Thursday at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens.
He’ll enter the second round tied for 39th and eight shots back of leaders William Block (Plantation), Derek Busby (Palm Beach Gardens) and Santiago Navarro (Winter Garden) at 6-under par.
It was an up-and-down opening round for Woods, who never moved more than a stroke above or below par until his final hole as he oscillated with three birdies and five bogeys on the BallenIsles South Course.
Woods will begin his second round at 7:45 a.m. on Friday off No. 1 at the BallenIsles East Course. He will be paired with Vero Beach’s James Hassell and Orlando’s Palmer Haynes.
The 108th Amateur Championship is a 72-hole stroke play tournament which will be played June 5-8. The field will cut to the low 70 players with ties after the first 36 holes.
The tournament was first hosted in 1915 and is the oldest continuous sporting event in Florida. Former champions include 1976 U.S. Open winner Jerry Pate.
Woods enters the tournament with momentum after his victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational on May 28, the first American Junior Golf Association event win of his junior golf career. His AJGA ranking rose more than 500 places to No. 14 overall.
