WEST LAFAYETTE ― Charlie Woods answered the challenge of battling the tight fairways of Kampen-Cosler Course offered during the second round of the Junior PGA Championship Wednesday, July 30.
He roped tee shots onto greens, converted key putts and displayed the kind of poise on the course patterned after his father, 15-time major championship winner Tiger Woods. The younger Woods shot 66 and finished -7, tied for third at time of his exit after starting the day 1-under.
He converted six birdies through the front nine, including three consecutive on holes 6-8 and added two straight birdies on holes 14 and 15.
Woods sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the third hole on a morning where his short game was in command.
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Woods biggest hole came on No. 9. After hooking a tee shot to the right onto the cart path and into wooded forage, he hit an iron shot out of the woods into a flat bunker, laid his third shot six feet from the hole and converted a par putt in front of a group of 75 onlookers eager to watch the 16-year-old from Jupiter, Florida.
“I hit it about the same as I did in the first round, but the putter finally woke up today,” Woods said. “It felt really good in my hands, and I was able to roll a few in after some solid iron shots. Nice to get myself back in the mix and looking forward to getting after it tomorrow (Thursday).”
Woods should comfortably make it to the third round, as the top 60 after the first two days advance to Thursday action. His fellow statesman, Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island, Florida, is also in-line to advance. Mawhinney finished the second round tied for seventh and moved up 24 spots to make the cut into the third round.
Despite hailing from the same state, the past two days were the first time Mawhinney played with Woods which included Jackson Ormond from Webster, New York.
“It’s a fun group and we’re all having a good time out there,” Mawhinney said. “It’s kind of cool with the crowds but other than that, it’s just a normal game of golf.”
This is a big tournament for the young players. The winner and runner up of the Junior PGA Championship automatically makes the Junior Ryder Cup Team, as long as they’re an American and are in the class of 2026 or younger.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
