Getty Charlie Woods tees off during pre-qualifying for The Cognizant Classic in February 2024.
Charlie Woods took the logical next step in his young golf career over the weekend (March 22-24) as he made his long-awaited debut with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), where his famous father, Tiger Woods, had plenty of success in his amateur days.
Playing on a sponsor’s exemption at the Will Lowery Junior Championship, which was contested at Carolina Trace Country Club in Sanford, North Carolina, 15-year-old Woods struggled at the 54-hole event, shooting 21-over to tie for 32nd among the 50 players who finished. The field featured 51 players, but one withdrew after the second round.
With Tiger in attendance and Charlie becoming quite famous in his own right, it was reported that security was tight, with armed guards at the entrance checking ID’s before issuing badges.
The heightened security was seemingly due to the behavior Charlie encountered when attempting to qualify for his first PGA Tour event on February 22 in Florida, where The Palm Beach Post reported fans repeatedly ignoring requests from tournament officials to keep their distance from Woods.
Charlie shot a 16-over 86 that day, and while he didn’t go that high in his AJGA debut, he failed to even come close to shooting par in each of the three rounds.
Charlie Woods Finished 28 Shots Behind the Winner in His AJGA Debut
Like Father. Like Son.
Charlie Woods makes his AJGA debut 33 years after his dad competed in AJGA events.
In his opening round at Carolina Trace, Woods made three birdies, including two in a row on the sixth and seventh holes, but also carded five bogeys and two double-bogeys en route to a 6-over round of 78 on the 6,948-yard, par-72 layout.
Charlie continued to struggle in the second round and made just one birdie on the 399-yard, par-4 fourth hole. But while he cut his double-bogey count in half, recording just one on the 429-yard, par-4 fifth, he upped his bogey total, making eight en route to a 9-over 81, which left him tied for 40th after 36 holes.
Woods had a wild final round, recording four birdies, four bogeys, three double-bogeys, and seven pars for another 6-over 78, putting him at 21-over for the week in a tie for 32nd.
The winner of the event, Patmom Malcom, shot 69-70-70 to finish at 7-under and was the only player to finish in red figures. He ultimately beat his closest competitor by eight shots and defeated Woods by 28.
Tiger Woods Won 8 AJGA Events in 13 Starts
Naturally, it will take quite a bit for Charlie Woods to match his father’s success in the AJGA.
Per the organization’s official website, Tiger Woods made 13 starts on the circuit from 1991 to 1993, winning eight of them, tying him for second on the all-time list. He was also named 1991 and 1992 Rolex Junior Player of the Year.
Fittingly enough, the all-time victories leader in AJGA history is Woods’ longtime rival, Phil Mickelson, who hoisted 12 first-place trophies. Lefty later became one of the only amateurs to win a PGA Tour event.
During his decorated amateur career, Tiger became the first player to win three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur titles (1991, 1992, 1993) and then became the first to win three straight U.S. Amateur titles (1994, 1995, 1996) before turning pro on August 29, 1996.
Woods has had a bit of a success at the professional level as well, notching 82 PGA Tour victories, tied for the most in history, and 15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus’ 18.
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Tiger Woods’ Son, Charlie Woods, Struggles in AJGA Debut