“Find Somebody Else to Do That”: Tiger Woods’s Son Charlie’s High School Story That Reflects the Teenager’s Popularity Retold

It won’t be wrong to say there are more accomplished teenagers than a certain Charlie Woods. Miles Russell, Luke Clanton, you name them. Yet none carries the burden of the young Woods. At 15, Woods Jr. has already amassed a huge fan base, one that his coach Toby Harbeck has ‘refused’ to handle.

Consider this: when Woods Jr. teed off at the school tournament, Harbeck saw windows opening up at the nearby condo and people thronging to the greens for a glimpse of Charlie Woods. Requests—and sometimes demands—for autographs, and selfies are fairly common. 

It isn’t confined only to the greens. Harbeck opened the mailbox one day and saw a bunch of letters addressed to Charlie Woods. “People wanting stuff signed and sent back to them,” the veteran coach told Golf.com. 

Harbeck joked he wasn’t up for that job anymore. Why? It’s too big for a coach to handle. At the end-of-season dinner, the Benjamin High School coach quipped, “I’m not in charge of your fan club anymore. You need to find somebody else to do that.” And, then threw the letters to the teenager.

The 15-year-old knows the cost of fame. And more than him, Harbeck knows. Golf has seen its fair share of prodigies. And, Charlie Woods isn’t the first son of a famous golfer trying to make a place for himself. The others before him weren’t successful. And Harbeck’s words about his ever-growing fanbase were actually prophetic. 

Charlie Woods had to handle an ‘onslaught’ of fans

The following February next year, Woods Jr. tried to earn a spot at the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic. At Lost Lake Golf Club, the 15-year-old teed off for the first state—pre-qualifier. The challenge proved too much, as he shot 86 to crash out. 

But the lingering image was a hoard of fans surrounding the teenager at every tee box. They ignored the marshals. Requests for autographs were common, as was a desire to touch the product of golfing legacy. Reportedly, an old woman brought her granddaughter to meet Woods Jr. Or wanted the teenager to meet her granddaughter. 

Once again, a few months later, thousands descended on Oakland Hills to catch a glimpse of Charlie Woods at his USGA debut. The added attraction was, of course, the presence of his rather famous father. Never in the history of the tournament has the first round seen that many spectators on the greens. 

No brownie points for guessing the hotly debated topic. Will Charlie Woods live up to his father’s legacy? The answer lies somewhere in the future. Woods Jr., need we repeat, is still a high schooler. 

Another question: will Charlie Woods cash in on his popularity? He certainly is eligible for NIL deals. And, more than a few brands are willing to bet—huge bucks—on the lanky kid from Palm Beach. 

Woods Jr. has the fame, the money, and the support of a father that many consider the GOAT of the game. For Charlie Woods, the job seems the opposite. How to stay low-key amid high scrutiny.