Spending time at Pinehurst No. 2 with his father worked wonders for Charlie Woods. The 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods qualified for his first USGA Championship, an accomplishment previously missing from his CV. While the teenager was severely ridiculed for his failed U.S. Open bid this year, unjust criticism hasn’t altered his ‘major’ plans.

Charlie Woods shot 1-under 71 to earn the medalist honor at the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier. Woods Jr. was the only player in the field to break par, which came courtesy of a flurry of birdies between 13 and 16. He started with a bogey, double on the back nine at the Eagle Trace Golf Club. 

“I didn’t play great my first two holes, but I played really good for the last 16. I just told myself not to make any more bogeys or doubles and I took advantage of some nice birdie looks when I had them,” Woods Jr. said after the tournament. The qualifiers follow an 18-hole stroke play round in 33 states across 40 sites, in addition to one site each in Canada and Mexico.

The teenager will be one of the 264 players to travel to Oakland Hills Country Club next month. 78 players, including Miles Russell, were already exempt from the U.S. Junior Amateur. The U.S. Junior Amateur pits top players under 19 against each other in a 36-hole stroke play. Only the top 64 will head to the final two rounds of match play. 

The winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur gets a chance to tee off at the 2025 U.S. Open as well. Tiger Woods, in his debut at the Junior Amateur, reached the semifinals at the tender age of 14. A year later, Woods started his historical dominance at the USGA, winning three straight U.S. Junior Amateur and repeating the feat in the U.S. Amateur as well. 

Charlie Woods added after qualifying, “The USGA means a lot to me. I want to win USGA championships and hopefully one day the U.S. Open.” The 15-year-old, who enjoys competing with his pop, will surely take his chances at Oakland Hill on July 22. 

The Oakland Hill too, carries a special tie with the 15-time major champion. This is where Woods paired up with Phil Mickelson in the 2004 Ryder Cup. The duo, however, lost both their matches against Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington (2&1), then Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood (1-up). 

Notably, Woods also played his last U.S. Open as an amateur at the Donald Ross-designed course. So, it might seem that Woods Jr. has a lot to catch up with at Bloomfield Township next month.

Will Charlie Woods have a chip on his shoulder? 

Charlie Woods fell short in his previous attempts at qualifying for top-tier tournaments. First came the Cognizant Classic pre-qualifier at the Lost Lake Golf Club. Woods’s costly 12 on the seventh derailed his round and ended with an 86. 

Next, the 15-year-old carded 21-over par at the Will Lowry Junior Championship, 28 shots behind the winner. Tiger Woods was reportedly present at this son’s AJGA debut, which he played on a sponsor exemption. 

Charlie Woods also tried to qualify for the 124th U.S. Open, which his dad played on a special exemption. The teenager tied for 61st at The Legacy Golf and Tennis Club local qualifier, posting 9-over 81. 

At Oakland Hills, the 15-year-old will definitely draw a lot of eyeballs, a taste of which he got at Lost Lake earlier this year. While it might be tempting to measure his junior achievements with those of his father, Woods Jr. is a 15-year-old kid whose career started only four years ago at the PNC Championship. 

Tiger Woods has always maintained that his son will carve his own path in whichever direction he wants to. Woods Jr. despite his earlier interest in soccer, picked the sport synonymous with his father. Whether Charlie Woods feels the heavy burden of legacy is not known. Even if he does, his flamboyance in the pressers, and composure around TV cameras don’t give that away. Charlie Woods might have a chip on his shoulder next month, but he surely won’t give that away.