If Tiger Woods‘s humble performances in 2024 have been no shock to you, then here is something from the younger Woods that will make you think otherwise. Yes, the golfer with 82 wins on the PGA Tour has not made cuts in the last two majors, but there was one constant on the greens with him! His son, Charlie Woods, But now, with the ever-changing golf world, he might soon make his PGA Tour debut too, a wish that he hasn’t been able to achieve so far.
According to Barstool Sports’ Monday Rap Q&A, Woods Jr. can soon get a sponsor invite. When asked by Dan Rappaport about Charlie’s PGA Tour debut, he replied, “He’ll get a sponsor invite sooner than you’d think. Tournaments have gotten smarter with those, and the amateur game has improved drastically to the point where they can invite college kids (or younger) and know they’re not going to embarrass themselves. The sponsor invites for this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic are indicative of this trend.” 15-year-old Miles Russell did get a sponsor exemption to compete at Detroit GC this week, making him the youngest PGA Tour debutant.
The younger Woods is not the only second-generation star golfer to be getting a sponsor invite. John Daly‘s son, Little John, with whom Daly has surpassed the Woods duo at the PNC Championship 2021 before, has also received the perk. “John Daly II got a sponsor invite to last week’s Korn Ferry event (76-72, missed cut). Charlie will get one once he turns 18, is my guess, assuming he still wants to pursue golf as he clearly wants to right now,” said Rappaport.
It’s not like Charlie has not tried to play on the PGA Tour. He had tried to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, but he failed to achieve his tour dream. He shot a 16-over 86 in the pre-qualifying event. Later, he did try to qualify for the US Open as well, but shot 81 on Thursday, which did not allow him to advance further. He carded one birdie, four bogeys, and three double bogeys at the Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
He has now qualified for his first USGA event, which is the U.S. Junior Amateur, as he shot 1 under 71 at Eagle Trace Golf Club. “It is, however, nice to see him in the news for shooting a good score (he qualified for the U.S. Junior to be played at Oakland Hills later this summer) and he’s clearly developing as a player,” said Rappaport.
USA Today via Reuters
Many are also questioning whether the younger Woods will pursue golf as strictly as his father has done. Born in 2009, the 15-year-old kid has already acquired a good amateur career. But if you are wondering, here is a brief run-through of what Charlie Woods has done so far in his short amateur career of 4 years now.
Charlie Woods has had some glory so far on the greens
Along with his dad, the little Woods played in the 2020 PNC Championship and became the youngest player to ever take part in the event. The NY Times remarked on this occasion, “It was then that the enchantment began. Fans could not get enough of Charlie, Tiger’s mini-me, a then-11-year-old whose technique was pristine and mirrored his father’s to a T.”
Team Woods has not missed any PNC tournaments since then. In 2021, they were also declared the runner-up, and every other time they were in the Top 5. Last year, Charlie Woods’ sister, Sam, also caddied for them, adding yet another Woods to the force. The young golfer also had his father as his caddie at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship, where in 2022 he scored as low as 68.
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Charlie’s first victory was at the SFPJ Tour when he won Links Tour Jonathan Landing Old Trail, a 9-hole event in August 2020 on the 9-11 division. He first won the South Florida Junior Open in February 2022 and again the next year. In 2022 and 2023, he also won the Major Championship at Village Golf Course.
Do you think a sponsor invite this early will help the golfer in the long run? Or will they feel unbearable pressure? Let us know in the comments below.
Pritha Halder is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Specializing in covering the off-court life of PGA Tour players, she brings to life the drama, triumphs and challenges of the athletes in the game. Having completed her Bachelor’s in English Language and Literature from a multidisciplinary university, Pritha started her career as a writer for a literary magazine, before delving into the world of golf.
EssentiallySports is a digital-first sports media house that surfaces the best stories on America’s favorite sports celebrities with a fan’s perspective to 30+ M average monthly readers.