A new-look Charlie Woods was spotted meeting World No.1 Scottie Scheffler ahead of the final round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany, The Bahamas, on Sunday — all under the watchful eye of his father and tournament host, Tiger Woods.
Charlie, 16, has been a popular figure around Albany this week as Tiger continues to recover from the seventh back surgery of his career, undergone in October.
While Tiger is not competing, he has been cleared to chip and putt, and has already been seen getting some light work done on the practice grounds.
Scheffler, 29, is chasing history this week as he looks to become the first player to win the Hero World Challenge three years in a row.
He’ll head into Sunday with a real chance, sitting just one shot behind leader Sepp Straka.
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Before heading out for his warm-up session, Scheffler was greeted by Tiger and introduced to Charlie.
Footage from Albany showed Scottie and Charlie shaking hands, exchanging smiles and a few words as Tiger stood proudly beside them.
Fans also noticed Charlie sporting a new look — a pair of glasses, something that hasn’t been seen publicly before.
The meeting comes during a significant period in Charlie’s young career, with interest in his future intensifying.
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Earlier this week, Tiger spoke openly about his son’s development and the rapidly accelerating recruiting process that now surrounds him.
“It’s been very different, the recruiting process,” said Woods.
“Now you have cell phones. We didn’t have cell phones. We would have written letters that would show up in the mailbox. ‘Oh, my God, I got a letter.’
“It’s just very different how fast coaches can communicate with the family members and the player that they’re trying to recruit. It’s just a different world.
“Not saying it’s good or bad, it’s just different. It’s fun to be a part of the process with Charlie and go through it and see where the opportunities that he has that he has created for himself by playing better, places that he could play, wants to play and ultimately we’ll decide where he wants to go play.”
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Charlie, currently ranked 13th in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about young talents in US junior golf.
His breakout 2025 season featured a maiden AJGA victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational in March, followed by a hole-in-one at the iconic TPC Sawgrass during the summer.
Most recently, he helped The Benjamin School capture a state championship title, firing a team-low 68 to secure the win.
With programmes such as Florida State and Stanford expected to be strong contenders, Charlie remains undecided on his college destination — but the list of suitors is growing.
With Tiger guiding the way, close family friend Justin Thomas offering support, and now a friendly nod from Scheffler, Charlie has no shortage of elite voices in his corner.
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Whether a PGA Tour future awaits remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Charlie Woods is on a promising trajectory, and his father is enjoying every step of the journey.
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