Charlie Woods entered his second US Junior Amateur Championship in as many years with a crucial playoff win where he beat two others at the Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Florida, last week
With his 49-year-old father, 15-time major winner Tiger Woods looking on, Charlie, 16, held off his rivals to claim the remaining qualifying place for the US Junior Amateur that will be played from July 21 to 26 at Trinity Forest in Dallas, Texas.
Charlie carded a 1 under par 71 in his closing round at Coral Springs but a dropped shot on the final hole dropped him into a fifth-place tie with Oscar Crowe and Matthew Marigliano, forcing the playoff, the Field Level Media website said.
At Trinity Forest, Charlie will line up alongside the top four finishers from Eagle Trace GC, Arth Sinha (67), Lucas Gimenez (68), Sohan Patel (69) and Wylie Inman (69). Crowe and Marigliano who lost out in the playoff are the alternates in case of a withdrawal.
Tiger was a three-time winner of the US Junior Amateur championship before going on to win 15 major championships and a record-tying 82 PGA Tour titles alongside the legendary Sam Snead.
Charlie missed the cut in last year’s Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills in Michigan. He, however, won his first junior tournament title last month at the Team TaylorMade Invitational in Bowling Green, Florida.
In the final round, he shot a 6 under 66 to go with earlier cards of 70 and 65 to total 15 under par 201 and a three-stroke victory.
“It means so much because I haven’t really performed at the highest level yet,” Charlie said after the Michigan title, according to the American Junior Golf Association website.
“And to finally do it after all the work I have put in and not playing well in big events in the past. Even though I know I am so much better than that, and for it to all finally come together is such great feeling,” he added.’
