In the competitive world of amateur golf, two young stars are catching the eye with their impressive performances and potential. Charlie Woods and Noah Kent are two of the most popular young golfers. Both of them are the future of golf but who has a better handicap score?

Charlie Woods is only 15 years old, but he has the legacy of a great name and the potential for success. While he is the son of Tiger Woods, he is charting his own path. His handicap score of +3 shows that he has a lot of talent at such a young age as plus handicap scores are better than scratch. This was seen when he amazed the fans with the first eagle at the PNC Championship in 2020  and carded 11 consecutive birdies in the final round of the father-son tournament in 2021. The son of a legend, he is not just milking off his father’s glory; he is on the quest of creating his glory.

He also tried to qualify for the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic this year but failed, and the same was the fate at the US Open qualifier. He made his USGA debut this year but failed to make the cut after he carded a disappointing 12 over 82 in the first two rounds.

On the other hand, Noah Kent is a new generation of talented athletes who come from an amateur background. At 19, Kent has already established himself with a handicap score lower than 2.4 which is why he has been a participant and is now a finalist in the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship. He is a student of Sports and Recreation Management at the University of Iowa, where he also met his girlfriend. His recent performances, such as the tied T3 finish (two golfers finished at T1) with a score of 9 under par in the 2024 Porter Cup are an indication of his prowess on the greens.

Woods Jr’s +3 handicap score is an indication of his talent, and on paper makes him the better golfer of the two as his handicap is in plus but Noah Kent is what some would refer to as a rising star.

Is Noah Kent a rising star in the golf world?

The story of Noah Kent is one of the examples of someone who turned into a serious competitor. Kent was born in Naples, Florida, and his life changed after meeting Rory McIlroy at the 2017 U.S. Open, which made him change from ice hockey to golf. In 2023, he was a top-25 finish at the ANF Fall Classic and competed in all four tournaments as a freshman. He displayed stunning performance as all four rounds of him were at par or better with a low round of 68, and a stroke average of 73.8. He was also named the 2023 Rolex Junior All-American.

This is not it, in Spring 2024, he was one of only two players to compete in all the tournaments. Playing with a stroke average of 72.8, he led the university team. His steady performance saw him finish in the top 25 in five of seven spring events, out of which 3 were in the top 10. His best performance was a low round of 63 which placed him in the second-best 18-hole score in the school.

In the Puerto Rico Classic, he showed his capability by coming up with a low 54-hole score of 202, which ranked the third lowest in the school history to finish in a tie for third place. Out of 33 rounds, he contributed 31 to the team’s performance, which could not go unnoticed, and he was awarded the letterwinner status.

Also, as of August 2024, Kent was ranked 560th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Kent was named a Rolex Junior All-American in the fall of 2023. With so many amazing achievements, Kent is truly a rising star!