사진 확대 Charlie Woods is targeting the green in the second round of the Junior Invitational on the 21st (Korea Standard Time). Junior Invitational SNS
Junior Invitational at Sage Valley at Sage Valley Golf Club (par 72) in Graniteville, South Carolina. The competition, called the “Junior Masters,” drew more attention than ever this year. This is because Kai Trump, the granddaughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, and Charlie Woods, the son of “Golf Emperor” Tiger Woods, participated as special guests.
The participation of those who are more famous than any other top stars has also changed the way the tournament is operated to a “paid position.” The competition has been open for free for 13 years so far. However, you cannot enter the course without an admission ticket from this year. The price is also quite high. One-day tickets cost $25 (about 36,000 won) and tickets for all four rounds cost $90 (about 130,000 won). Still, numerous galleries visited the venue to see them. It was also noticeable that girls cheering for Kai engraved supporting phrases on headbands and T-shirts and filmed them with smartphones.
But his skills were disappointing. Charlie stayed in the bottom half on the first day of the tournament, writing a six-over 78. His junior ranking was 713th, the lowest among the participants in the tournament.
Fortunately, on the second day of the competition held on the 21st (Korea Standard Time), he slightly raised his ranking by hitting one over par 73. Charlie, who started at the 10th hole (par 5), gained strength by catching an eagle from the first hole. However, it collapsed by committing “three consecutive bogeys” from the 14th hole. In the second half of the hole, he started with a birdie on the third hole and succeeded in reducing two strokes again with four birdies and two bogeys until the eighth hole, but he wrote down a double bogey on the final ninth hole (par 4), ending the game with an over-par score. 27th out of 36 contestants with a median total of 7 overs 151 strokes. In terms of Charlie’s junior ranking, it’s not a bad performance, but it didn’t meet the expectation of being a “golf emperor” son.
사진 확대 Kai Trump is moving with a big smile in the second round of the Junior Invitational on the 21st (Korea Standard Time). Junior Invitational SNS
Charlie, who finished 27th, is a bit better. Kai, who has “Presidential Grandpa,” finished last, writing 24 overs in two days. On the first day, he recorded 17 over par 89 and also recorded 7 over par 79 on the same day. Although it was 10 shots less than the first day, it was still 10 shots behind Natalie Yan of the U.S., who was ranked 23rd, and was 29 shots behind the lone leader, Pimpisa Lubron of Thailand.
Regardless of his skills, Kai is already a popular card in the golf world. Kai, which has more than 5 million followers on social media, recently signed a product sponsorship contract with TaylorMade. He is already scheduled to go to the University of Miami as a golf speciality.
Junior Invitational At Sage Valley is a special competition in which only the top junior players participate to the extent that it is called the “Junior Masters,” and only 36 male and 24 female players compete for the championship. The conditions for participation are also strict. Players who have achieved outstanding performances, including wins at junior golf tournaments inside and outside the United States, and top junior golf players will participate. I didn’t expect much because of the participation of prominent players, but Charlie’s 27th place and Kai’s last place are unexpectedly sluggish. Kai’s grandfather, President Trump’s handicap is known to be 2.5. He is a “real single golfer” who hits his early 70s. Tiger Woods, who is called a “living legend” with 82 wins on the PGA Tour, knows everyone without saying.
It is also known that the fact that they were invited to participate together also played a role. Kai and Charlie, and Charlie’s older sister Sam Woods all attend Benjamin High School. Tiger Woods and Donald Trump Jr. are known to remain close as “fathers.”
Oh Soo-min, the only Korean player to play, lost two shots on the second day and posted an interim total of one over 145. Oh Soo-min, who is tied for fifth, will try to win the upset in the remaining round.
[Reporter Cho Hyosung]
