Charlie Woods did not have the best outing at the US Junior Amateur, missing the cut after enduring a torrid first round, with his father, Tiger, watching on from the sidelines
Charlie Woods missed the cut at the US Junior Amateur after his meltdown in front of his father, Tiger Woods(Image: Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Charlie Woods failed to make the cut at the US Junior Amateur, after his father, Tiger Woods, watched his meltdown during the opening round. The young golfer’s underwhelming performance at the tournament came on the heels of his victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational in late May 2025.
That triumph gave the impression that Charlie was quickly ascending the ranks toward golf fame, despite still being in his teens. But the path to greatness isn’t without challenges.
Missing the cut was one such setback. After recording a score of 81 in round one, the 16-year-old improved to 74 in the second – an uptick from his earlier effort, yet insufficient to keep him in the tournament.
Woods placed T196 out of 264 total entrants. As a result, he did not secure a spot among the top 64 junior golfers globally – those who would go on to compete for elite status in the sport.
Interestingly, Tiger previously won this same championship three times – in 1991, 1992, and 1993. Given that background, the elder Woods tried offering advice on course strategy, but his son apparently wasn’t too interested in listening.
During the 47th Junior North & South Amateur at Pinehurst Resort, after sinking a long putt, Charlie was overheard saying: “I don’t want to hear it.” Tiger chuckled in response and replied: “Good putt.”
Despite that light-hearted exchange, many spectators feel that Charlie is under intense pressure to meet the expectations tied to carrying such a legendary last name.
Tiger Woods watched on as his son, Charlie Woods, missed the cut at the US Junior Amateur(Image: Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
One person commented online: “No disrespect to the kid, but I just have this feeling that if he does make it to the pro tour he’s gonna be an average pro.” Another wrote: “He is absolutely overrated. Got the vibe because his father. STOP IT!” A third added: “Too much to live up to. Not gonna happen.”
While Charlie works on building his own legacy in golf, his father is focused on recovering from an Achilles issue sustained while attempting to resume his regular training routine, following a disappointing 2024.
In March, the golf legend posted an update on social media announcing that he had injured his Achilles, and further diagnostics revealed a torn tendon in his left leg.
Tiger Woods has been accompanying Charlie as the 16-year-old tries his hand at junior competitions(Image: Getty Images)
“As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured,” he wrote at the time.
“This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon. ‘The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery,’ added Dr. Stucken. “I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support.”
