Charlie Woods’ true ability at TPC Sawgrass was on full display, with the teenager impressing on the golf course while his father, Tiger Woods, struggled after he lost his license for five years
Charlie Woods made the cut at the Junior PGA Championship(Image: Getty Images)
Charlie Woods’ true ability on the golf course was on full display, just days after his father Tiger Woods’ struggles were blasted throughout the internet and waves.
In recent days, Tiger Woods has returned to the news after returning to Florida following the last handful of months in Switzerland, where he was rehabilitating after being arrested for flipping his Land Rover on its side in March 2026. The 50-year-old’s driver’s license was suspended for 5 years after he pleaded guilty to performing a U-turn.
Yet despite the 15-time major winner’s struggles, it was Charlie Woods who had a sparkling outing on the golf course, which comes roughly a month after he lost his temper and snapped at a fan during the Junior PGA Championship.
At the Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, the 17-year-old shot a 1-under 71 in the first round, tied for ninth place, just four shots behind the leader, Chase Bauer. When faced with a difficult go at the par-3 17th, with his tee shot settling on the footpath, Charlie Woods still pulled out a par.
When he concluded the opening round, Charlie Woods was just three shots behind Esteban Llorente, who finished the round T6 at 2-under 71.
Starting at the back nine, the teenager recorded five birdies on the day with four bogeys. His best stretch came from the 15th through the 18th hole, where he posted three birdies in four holes, with the aforementioned par on the 17th being the lone outlier during this span.
Tiger Woods is said to be unhappy about his five-year driving ban(Image: Saul Martinez/Getty Images)
Charlie Woods was also announced as one of the latest TaylorMade athletes, having previously been spotted wearing his father’s Sun Day Red.
And while the younger Woods was excelling on the course, the same could not be said for his father, who recently lost his driver’s license for half a decade. On Wednesday, Woods appeared before a judge at the Martin County Courthouse, and while he avoided jail time, he will not be allowed to drive any vehicle.
Judge Darren Steele noted that if the 15-time major winner were to operate a vehicle, he warned, “If you drive for any reason at all, you will be going back to jail.”
What’s more, there has been exponential interest in whether the elder Woods would be allowed to drive a golf cart, a conversation that involved Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The governor believes that Tiger Woods should be given permission to drive a golf cart, as adults in Florida do not need a driver’s license to operate said golf cart. A license is required to operate one on public roads, however.
That said, a source close to Tiger Woods stated that while he is unhappy with the situation, he is learning to live with the consequences of his actions.
“As of right now, he has turned over a new leaf, he is looking forward to starting to play again and he is looking forward to moving on and he would love nothing more than to have all of this in his rear view,” the source said to the Daily Mail.
“Speaking of rear view, he hates that he won’t be able to drive, because he loves that privacy he gets with being alone, but it is a small price to pay to get back on track. So where he didn’t often live by his words in the past, many have seen a brand new Tiger and hope that this version sticks.”