Like Tiger, like son.
At just 16 years old, Charlie Woods still has a long way to go to match his father Tiger’s golf accolades, but he took a major first step on Wednesday, May 28, when he won the TaylorMade Invitational, his first American Junior Golf Association title.
Charlie beat out a field of 71 competitors to claim his title, making a late charge with eight birdies in his final round. Pro golfer Matt Kuchar’s 17-year-old son Cameron finished tied for 10th.
The TaylorMade Invitational, held in Bowling Green, Florida, was only Charlie’s fifth-ever AJGA event and he had never finished better than 25th.
Tiger, 49, welcomed Charlie with ex-wife Elin Nordegren in 2009. The couple also shares daughter Sam, born in 2007.
As the son of arguably the greatest golfers of all-time and one of the most dominant athletes of his era, Charlie has lived his life with monumental expectations. Tiger, for his part, has done his best to encourage Charlie to be himself.
“I just always remind him, ‘Just be you,’” he told CNN in December 2024. “Charlie is Charlie. Yes, he’s my son, he’s gonna have that last name as part of the sport, but I just want him to just be himself, you know, and be your own person. That’s what we’ll always focus on, and we’ll always encourage it, for him just to carve his own name, to carve his own path and have his own journey.”
Tiger Woods and ex-wife Elin Nordegren have been through the ringer since the former couple first met at the Open Championship in 2001. The duo’s love story started off promising, with the pair getting engaged two years after they first crossed paths. They said their “I dos” in October 2004 and soon welcomed two children: […]
That same month, Tiger gave the PGA Tour a scouting report on his son, saying he’s grown “3.5 to 4 inches in height” and has gotten “stronger, faster, heavier” since last year. He added that while the two challenge each other at home, “it’s all love, that’s what it’s all about. I love him to death.”
Despite their competitive spirit, the two have leaned on each other for support on the green. Tiger has previously caddied for his son, while Charlie served as his dad’s swing consultant during the 2024 U.S. Open.
“Having Charlie out here is very special,” Tiger told reporters at the time. “To have the father-son relationship that we have and extend it into this part of both of our lives. He’s playing a lot of junior golf and I’m still playing out here.”
It may seem strange for a legend like Tiger to take advice from his teenage son, but as he explained it, there’s no one better to coach him.
“I trust him with my swing and my game,” he added. “He’s seen it more than anybody else in the world. He’s seen me hit more golf balls than anyone. I tell him what to look for, especially with putting.”
