Charlie Woods' latest tournament result wasn't what fans expected. The 17-year-old son of Tiger Woods struggled at the prestigious Junior Invitational. But his performance on the scorecard tells only half the story.

The 17-year-old shot a three-over 75 in the first round, and then a four-over 76 in the second round at Sage Valley, Southern California. But he seemed to struggle in the next rounds and scored 11-over 83 and an eight-over 80. He was 26-over by the end of the final round and ranked 36th in the leaderboard. 

He hit two birdies and two bogeys during the game. But in the end, he had four double bogeys on his scorecard. Meanwhile, Miles Russell, the winner of the tournament, wrapped things up with a 15-under 273. 

Both Woods and Russell have committed to play at Florida State University in 2027. And that would make them classmates next year. But it’ll also take the competition up a notch. 

For now, the golf community has opted for a more lenient approach for Woods. He’s still a high school student with his entire life ahead of him. A loss at the Junior Invitational isn’t the end of the world. 

Fans Keep Faith in Charlie Woods

After the New York Post shared the results from Sage Valley Golf Club on Instagram, fans took to the comments section to support the teenage golfer. One fan praised Woods’ skills and wrote, “That invitational tournament is the top junior golfers in the world- just getting invited is a huge honor. Good for him!”

The Junior Invitational is one of the many ways to gauge future champions. Akshay Bhatia and Scottie Scheffler are two of the many winners. But those who didn’t win also have a commendable golf career. 

Meanwhile, many others highlighted the fact that he’s still a 17-year-old kid who’s already walking in Tiger Woods’ footsteps. One fan claimed, “No worries! He's got some time to prove his talents.” Another fan reflected on the apparent pressure on him and wrote, “That’s so much pressure. Just have fun.” But he’s still at the beginning of his career. And he has a lot of time to grow. A fan reflected on that and commented, “It happens at the beginning of your career. You learn from your failures. He’ll get better.”

Charlie Woods is already growing his finances through golf. His NIL valuation has reached $3 million. And having won the TaylorMade Invitational in 2025, he’s associated with the company, and his father’s Sun Day Red. One fan put that in the spotlight and wrote, “Kid just signed a NIL deal for $3 - million to golf at a prestigious university. He will be just fine.”

For now, Woods focuses on his growth. And the fans expect him to rise in the near future. 

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar