Charlie Woods and Kai Trump did not fare well at the Sage Valley Junior Invitational last week, but both teenagers received some positive news in the greater scheme of things
Despite not performing their best at the Sage Valley Junior Invitational last week, Charlie Woods and Kai Trump saw a significant rise in their American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) rankings.
Woods – the son of 82-time PGA Tour winner Tiger Woods – and Trump, granddaughter of President Donald Trump, were undoubtedly the star attractions at the Sage Valley event. And their participation drew considerable attention to the tournament.
Regrettably, however, both young golfers struggled to find their top form. Woods – who has been seen at events with his 15-time major-winning father in recent years = finished 25th out of 36 players at Sage Valley.
Despite looking set for a top-20 finish in the final round, the high school star lost five shots over his last five holes in what turned out to be a challenging finish. The Irish Star reported Trump also had a rough time as she finished last out of 24 in her draw.
The teenager ended the week 52-over-par with rounds of 79-89-83, leaving her 22 shots behind at the bottom of the leaderboard. However, despite their struggles at one of golf’s most prestigious junior events, there was a silver lining for both Woods and Trump.
Tiger’s talented offspring catapulted up the AJGA rankings as a result of his latest performance. He made the notable jump from 838th to 603rd on the boys’ half of the pecking order.
And even with a last-place finish, President Trump’s granddaughter saw her ranking surge from 815th to 530th. That goes to show precisely how revered this competition is and the impact of making the cut to feature at all.
The prestigious Sage Valley Junior Invitational is well-known for offering platforms to top talents like Joaquin Niemann and world-leading Scottie Scheffler in the past. And maximum points are awarded despite not being an official AJGA event.
Rising star Miles Russell triumphed in the Sage Valley boys’ competition, topping the AJGA leaderboard at just 16 years of age. With rounds including an initial three-under-par 69 followed by consistent 70s, Russell firmly established himself as one to watch for the future.
Mickelson made a name for himself as one of the most accomplished left-handed players of all time. And he was brimming with excitement about Russell’s prospects as he wrote: “It’s going to be fun watching this young lefty’s career!”
Russell won the junior PGA Championship and Junior Players Championship in 2023 when he really started to make waves in the golf world. He was later named Rolex Junior Player of the Year before adding the Tournament of Champions title to his cabinet, among others.
Woods was unable to match Russell last year when he qualified for the US Amateur Championship, while the former did not. And despite Woods being the progeny of arguably the greatest golfer of all time, Russell serves as proof he’s behind the pace when it comes to his class of emerging prospects.
