Tiger Woods made a rare social media post this week to congratulate some of amateur golf’s newest champions while sharing his reaction to seeing his name attached to two prestigious USGA honors.
Woods, 50, congratulated U.S. Amateur champion Jack Whaley and U.S. Junior Amateur champion Noah MacLauchlan following their victories. He also recognized runners-up Jay Leng Jr. and Miles Russell.
Whaley became only the third Englishman since 1911 to capture the Havemeyer Trophy when he defeated Leng, 4&3, over 36 holes at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
MacLauchlan earned his title in July with a 6&5 victory over Russell at Saucon Valley Country Club.
Their wins carried an additional connection to Woods. MacLauchlan received the Tiger Woods Trophy, while Whaley received the Tiger Woods Medal.
Tiger Woods Says He’s ‘Humbled’ to Have His Name Connected to USGA Honors
Woods congratulated all four golfers in his social media message.
“Congrats to @jackwhaley_golf on winning the U.S. Am at Merion. An incredible accomplishment and a special place to make history,” Woods wrote.
He also recognized Leng’s performance and recent success.
“@jaylengjr put together an impressive run of his own, winning the @wgachampionships just a few weeks ago and following it up with a great week at the Am. Always good to see a fellow Cardinal competing on this stage.”
Woods then turned his attention to the U.S. Junior Amateur.
“And finally, a big congrats to @noahmaclauchlan07 on winning the U.S. Junior Amateur over @milesrussellgolf,” he wrote.
Woods closed his message by addressing what it means to have his name connected to the awards.
“Great to see the next generation competing for these championships. Humbled to have my name connected to these honors. What an incredible summer for amateur golf @usga.”
The USGA formally renamed the honors earlier in 2026 in recognition of Woods’ amateur accomplishments.
Woods’ Historic USGA Run Still Stands Decades Later
Woods’ connection to the two championships dates back more than three decades.
He won three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur championships in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Woods immediately followed that streak by winning three straight U.S. Amateur titles in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
The six consecutive USGA amateur championships preceded a professional career that included 15 major championships. Woods went on to win the Masters five times, the U.S. Open three times, The Open Championship three times and the PGA Championship four times.
His nine overall USGA championship victories are tied with Bob Jones for the most in history.
Scottie Scheffler Is Closing in on Tiger Woods’ Long-Standing PGA Tour Record
While Woods’ amateur accomplishments are now permanently tied to future USGA champions, one of his professional records is facing a challenge from Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler moved within approximately $1.1 million of Woods’ PGA Tour career earnings record after winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The victory was Scheffler’s 21st on Tour and came by eight shots. His $3.6 million winner’s check increased his career on-course earnings to approximately $119.96 million, according to Sportsnaut.
Woods remains ahead at approximately $120.99 million in career earnings.
Scheffler has reached his total in fewer than 168 starts, while Woods accumulated his record total over 378 starts and 82 PGA Tour victories.
Scheffler will have another opportunity to close the gap at the BMW Championship, which features a $20 million purse and no cut. The Tour Championship follows with a $40 million purse.
Tiger Woods Says He’s ‘Humbled’ by Major Honor as Scottie Scheffler Closes in on Record