Charlie Woods Charlie Woods lines up a putt Thursday, July 31, 2025, during the Junior PGA Championship at the Purdue Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana.

It’s not that hard to believe, given his elite pedigree, but Charlie Woods, the son of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, is within striking distance of capitalizing on an opportunity to represent the United States on one of the world’s biggest stages.

It was only a little over a week ago when Charlie shot an 11-over 81 in the opening round at Trinity Forest Golf Club, ending any chance of him making the weekend cut. As dissapointing as that must’ve been, the young athlete is proving his mental fortitude.

Woods, who is only 16 years old, is having an outstanding performance this week at the Junior PGA Championship, where he is tied for second heading into the final round, where the top two finishers will automatically qualify to represent the United States at the Junior Ryder Cup.

“My round was pretty up and down, and it gave me a heart attack out there,” Woods said of his performance on Thursday. “But nine birdies is pretty good. A couple of three-putts, I made a few mistakes today, but overall pretty solid round. Pretty good position going into tomorrow.”

Fans reacted to the news on social media.

“That would be a wild accomplishment for this kid. Doesn’t matter who your dad is… the amount of work that goes into making that team is an incredible testament to this young man’s heart for the game. Nothing more is needed to be seen from me, I’m a fan of Charlie, not just because he’s the son of the GOAT… but because he’s forging his own path on his own terms,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

“The son of Tiger Woods is playing and people are mystified as to why he’s getting more attention,” someone else added.

It’ll be interesting to see if Woods can pull it off.

About Qwame Skinner

Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.