Charlie Woods won his first Amateur Junior Golf Association (AJGA) title earlier this week, and Tiger Woods’ son was given some strict instructions ahead of the Masters
Charlie Woods, the whiz kid and son of golf legend Tiger Woods, clinched his first Amateur Junior Golf Association (AJGA) title a little over a year after receiving some sage advice from his old man ahead of last year’s Masters.
The young golfer, aged 16, made a winning comeback at the Team TaylorMade Invitational held May 25-28, scoring a comfortable victory in the entire event. The milestone followed Charlie’s unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open, but it seems a Tiger-enforced adjustment last year may have been pivotal in gleaning the valuable experience that contributed to his win.
As Tiger Woods aspired for his sixth Masters green jacket in 2024, he reflected on a journey to Augusta National with an interesting revelation: He’d banned Charlie from using the members’ tees because the junior Woods could now outdrive him. Yet, Tiger viewed this enforced change as an essential learning curve.
“We haven’t played in a couple years now. I came up here last weekend,” Tiger said when asked about his and Charlie’s visits to the esteemed course. “He wanted to be at home. So I came up here, and got a chance to play with the chairman and Rob and JT, and we had just an absolute blast.
“I would like to, obviously, play a little bit more up here with him and to share the experiences. Especially now that he’s got a little bit longer so he hits it past me. So I think that the days of playing from the members tees are over. He’s got to come back there with us.”
Fast forward a year, and Charlie clinched an impressive victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational, delivering a significant signal of his potential. Facing a rocky start in the tournament, Woods turned it around with a 66 in the final round, sealing a 15-under finish.
During the contest, Woods racked up an impressive tally of 25 birdies and one eagle, all while displaying traits that have become trademark in his father’s game. Even amidst the mounting pressure of the last round, Woods maintained he didn’t even steal a peek at the scoreboard.
“I didn’t look at the leaderboard once today,” revealed Woods post clinching his first AJGA championship title. “On the fairway after hitting the green on 18, he’s [Woods’ caddie] like, ‘you make par here, you’re going to be fine.'”
Ultimately, Woods triumphed over competitors Willie Gordon, Phillip Dunham, and Luke Colton by a margin of two strokes, and he’s fueled to continue competing at such an elite level. “It means so much because I haven’t really performed at the highest level yet,” Woods confided.
“And to finally do it after all the work I have put in and not playing well in big events in the past. Even though, I know I am so much better than that and for it all to finally come together is such a great feeling.
“Just being able to say to myself that I have won an absolutely amazing event and say that I have performed under high pressure situations is huge going forward. I haven’t been able to say that I have done that and now that I can it is a big thing for my mental game going forward.”
Last year, Tiger Woods predicted a bright future for his son Charlie when they teamed up at the PNC Championship. Charlie impressed everyone with a hole-in-one, and although the father-son team came in second, Tiger couldn’t hide his pride.
“He has gotten better at every facet of the game,” Tiger remarked during the PNC Championship. “I know he’s been doing this in front of the media for a long time, but I think it’s incredible what he’s been able to accomplish so far, and the ceiling that he has is unlimited.”
