Charlie Woods, the son of golf legend Tiger Woods, had to duck and cover when a recovery shot on the 11th hole at the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship nearly hit him in the face in a freak sequence during the tournament’s first round on Saturday.
Woods, with his dad and mom, Elin Nordegren looking on, had hit a ball under a tree on the 11th at Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables, Florida, and was attempting to get clear when his shot struck a root and came back at him, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Charlie Woods shoots from the fairway while on Hole 6 in the Junior Orange Classic on Jan. 3, 2026. Chet Peterman / Special to The Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The ball almost struck the younger Woods, and he had to drop his club and protect his face in order to not get hurt.
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Woods did manage to recover in the end, getting himself onto the green and then making a lengthy putt for par.
Tiger Woods told his son, “Hell of a shot,” and joked with Charlie Woods about what had happened on the hole, the Palm Beach Post reported.
After two days of the tournament, Woods is three-over par for the tournament and sitting at T22.
He had shot a 73 on Saturday and followed it up with a 72 on Sunday, which included him battling back on the second nine after a rough start to his day.
Woods has been charting his own path in the sport that his father helped elevate during his legendary playing days.
Charlie Woods’ father, Tiger Woods, and mother, Elin Nordegren, are photographed in the gallery at the Junior Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, 2026. Chet Peterman / Special to The Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tiger Woods checks out Charlie Woods’ golf club to make sure it’s okay after it takes a knock against a clump of roots during the Junior Orange Bowl at the Biltmore Golf Course on Jan. 3, 2026. Chet Peterman / Special to The Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Woods is currently ranked 13th in the American Junior Golf Association rankings and earned a nod as a first-team All-America.
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This year is the first time Woods is competing in the tournament and comes after he helped the Benjamin School golf team win another state championship in November.
The Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship, which Tiger Woods won in 1991, will run through Tuesday when they announce a winner after the final day of action.
