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via Imago

The wait is finally over! Woods duo is at the 2024 PNC Championship and is thriving at tied T1 after the first round. Golf fans were very excited as this was Tiger Woods‘s post-surgery comeback of sorts. The 15-time PGA Tour winner was in so much pain that he had to pull out of the 2024 Hero World Challenge, despite having a guaranteed spot.

It seems this time, Team Woods has come with a motivation. Charlie has developed a stunning ball speed of 176 MPH as shown during the pro-am PNC Championship. This also raised expectations from the Jr among fans. He already is under the burden of a lot of expectations but Tiger Woods is not a fan of it.

The 15x major winner said, “Yes, he’s my son. He’s going to have the last name, and he’s going to be part of the sport.” But here’s the thing: the PGA Tour pro wants Charlie to make his own path. As he put it, “I just want him to be himself and just be your own person.”  Which parent would not want that? The 48-year-old pro has always spoken very lovingly of his son, and it is known to the world how much Woods loves to be a father.

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USA Today via Reuters

Now, the irony is that this is very different from how Tiger Woods himself was brought up. His father, Earl’s method of showing Woods love was different. Tough love, you might want to say. Woods once talked about how his father could swear for 30 minutes straight without repeating himself. When he was eleven years old, his father started to swear at him. The world thought it was harsh but on the contrary, the golfer looked at it as “psychological training.” Basically, his father swore at him all through his training whenever he made a mistake.

Woods said that he, “didn’t mind and even encouraged” his father to swear at him. This process helped him “in ways other people thought were hurtful”. They had a code word for when the 82x PGA Tour winner could not take it anymore. However, he said he never used it as he never wanted to give in. Even during practice, Earl used tricks to distract him. He did it all, from jingling money to slamming golf cart brakes and smashing stuff. Tough love, indeed.

Interestingly, Woods knows the perks of these uncommon tricks. He admitted to using similar tactics on his son. In an interview with Golf Digest, the 15X major winner stated, “It’s nonstop! It’s trying to get him—if I can get into his head, that means someone else can get in his head. It’s getting to a point where I can’t get in his head and then no one else can get in there, either. That’s what my dad believed in. You’ve got to be willing to take it.” 

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He still wants Charlie to have his own journey and lets him be the kind of he wishes to be but at the same time he understands that success comes at a cost. But has the father been able to pass on these valuable lessons to Charlie?

What’s your perspective on:

Can Charlie Woods surpass his father's legacy, or is he destined to remain in Tiger's shadow?

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How good a golfer is Charlie Woods?

Charlie Woods is the spitting image of his father, Tiger Woods, on and off the golf course. He is only 15 years old but has been making waves in the golf already. One of the most staggering qualities about Charlie’s game is his ball speed, which is faster than the PGA Tour Pro Scottie Scheffler.

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But what’s more impressive is that Charlie is still a high school golfer. As Tiger Woods himself said, “He has yet to beat me for 18 holes. That day is coming. I’m just prolonging it as long as I possibly can.” Junior Wood’s golf game has already improved to the point that he has beaten his father in nine-hole matches. Luke Leonard, Justin Leonard’s son, also observed Charlie’s ability to beat even the best golfers.

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As Team Woods competes at the PNC Championship, Charlie has his sights set on the trophy. But for his father, it’s not just about winning—it’s about the bond they share as father and son. As he said, “Yes, we want to win, but it’s about the bond. It’s about having the family. It’s about us having a father-son moment together. This is what this tournament is about. It’s about family.”

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Can Charlie Woods surpass his father's legacy, or is he destined to remain in Tiger's shadow?