Tiger Woods' son Charlie Woods found the going tough at the opening round of the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan. The 15-year old shot a disappointing 12-over-par in his first round, leaving him outside of the top 64 places that will make the cut.
Woods began steadily enough, parring the first three holes. However, the errors began to creep in soon after - he double bogeyed the short par-4 fourth hole after finding trouble off the tee. Two more doubles followed on the 9th and 11th holes, effectively ending any chance of a good first round score.
Some steadier play saw Woods birdie the 5th and 12th holes, salvaging some respite from what was otherwise a testing day with the flat stick. However, more dropped shots were to come, with doubles on the long 14th and penultimate 17th holes summing up his struggle on the day.
Charlie Woods Struggles at U.S. Junior Open (Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
At 12-over par overall, Woods lies tied 189th in the field of over 200 players who had completed their rounds. Only the top 64 and ties will progress to the match play stage of this prestigious junior event. Barring a minor miracle tomorrow, it seems unlikely Woods will be among those advancing.
It was a disappointing result for the young starlet, playing in his first U.S. Junior Amateur. Oak Hills posed a stern test though, with scoring generally high - only 19 players broke par in the opening round. Woods will hope to shake off this experience as a valuable learning one, as he continues his development in the junior ranks.
Tiger Woods watches his son Charlie tee off from No. 1 on the North Course on Monday/ AP
The second round will take place tomorrow, where Woods must significantly lower his score in order to have a chance of extending his stay in Michigan. At only 15, there is plenty of time still for improvement. But this was certainly a round to forget for the son of the 15-time Major winner.
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Charlie Woods results today
Hole (Par) Woods' score (overall)
1 (4) 4 (E)
2 (4) 4 (E)
3 (4) 4 (E)
4 (3) 5 (+2)
5 (5) 4 (+1)
6 (3) 4 (+2)
7 (4) 4 (+2)
8 (4) 5 (+3)
9 (4) 6 (+5)
10 (3) 3 (+5)
11 (4) 6 (+7)
12 (5) 4 (+6)
13 (3) 4 (+7)
14 (4) 6 (+9)
15 (4) 5 (+10)
16 (4) 4 (+10)
17 (4) 6 (+12)
18 (4) 4 (+12)
How does Charlie Woods' performance compare to other young golfers in the tournament
It was always going to be a tall task for Charlie Woods making his debut in the big leagues at the U.S. Junior Amateur. But even so, the 15-year old would have been hoping for more than an opening 12-over-par 82 around Oakland Hills.
Playing in the same group, Chase Kyes and Davis Ovard showed the poise under pressure that eluded Charlie on day one. Both spoke of the unique vibe with Tiger's boy in their midst, though where Davis seemed to relish the moment, Chase kept his calm to navigate the course far more smoothly than his higher-profile partner.
You could see the weight of expectation dragging on Charlie as those doubles and bogeys piled up. But he's still learning, and it can't be easy shouldering that kind of attention so young. This is a steep learning curve after all.
Credit to Chase and Davis for making the most of their time alongside a future star in the making. They rose to the occasion while Charlie tended to his bruises. But he's a fighter, this one, and will take plenty from the experience.
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