In a promising showing for the future of golf, 17‑year‑old Charlie Woods posted a 1‑under‑par 71 on Friday at the Junior Players Championship held at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The round, his best ever on the famed Stadium Course, featured five birdies and four bogeys.
Round highlights
Woods began the back nine with a pair of bogeys on holes 11 and 14, but quickly answered with birdies on holes 15 and 16. His most dramatic moment came on the iconic par‑3 17th, where his tee shot landed on the narrow footpath beside the island green. After a careful chip that left the ball about four feet from the hole, he sank the par putt, later describing the experience as “pleasantly surprised.” He capped the round with an 18‑foot birdie putt on the 18th to finish at one under.
Position after round
When he completed his round just before the 2 p.m. ET weather pause, Woods was tied for eighth. After the round was officially closed, he settled in a tie for ninth, four strokes behind tournament leader Chase Bauer, who posted a 5‑under 67.
Family legacy and next steps
The Woods family name carries weight at TPC Sawgrass, where his father, Tiger Woods, captured the Players Championship in 2001 and again in 2013. Tiger’s 2001 victory is remembered for a dramatic 60‑foot birdie putt on the same 17th hole. Charlie, building on his own steady improvement—he tied for 31st at the same event last year—will tee off first in the second round on Saturday morning.
Charlie Woods’ performance underscores the growing talent pipeline in junior golf and offers a hopeful glimpse of the next generation carrying forward a storied family tradition.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
