Has the student become the Master? At the U.S. Open, 15-time major champion Tiger Woods and son Charlie were spotted practicing on the range, with Charlie offering some tips to his 48-year-old father. Lately, Woods has put a lot of trust in his son for some input about his swing. The 82-time PGA Tour winner said from Pinehurst, “I trust him with my swing and my game. He’s seen it more than anybody else in the world. He’s seen me hit more golf balls than anyone. I tell him what to look for, especially with putting.” But the outcome was not perfect.

At the US Open 2024, Woods missed the cut by 2 strokes. His score of 7-over par 147 came from 74-73 over the two days. He carded four bogeys and one birdie. The latter could have been 2 had it not been for the bad luck on the 15th. Despite the heartbreak, they are back on the range in Florida.

In a picture posted by TWLegion on their official X handle, Woods can be seen standing by his, as the 15-year-old hits balls. However, the fans did not seem to be very hopeful about the merit of the father-son duo, as they thought this might be the time for Woods to step aside.

Back in 2023, the official X account of the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship shared snippets of Charlie Woods’ interview with Ryan Burr after winning the 14-15 division of the tournament. Jr. Woods spoke about his relationship with his father. “We just stay in our own little world and we just take it one shot at a time,” Charlie had said.

But with rising fame, their ‘little world’ has got expanded. The teenager’s every move has been put under the scanner on social media. When the recent snippets from the practice session went viral, fans came up with their concerns about the teenager’s school life to Woods’s future.

Netizens wonder if this ‘grind’ will ever help Tiger Woods

After making a much-awaited return to the green at the 2023 Hero World Challenge, the 82-PGA Tour winner shared his plans for the 2024 season, which consisted of playing one event a month. Fast forward to June, and Woods, has stated that he would play only in the Open Championship this season. The veteran said the risk is it might take too much time for him to recover from a four-day grind on the course. At the same time, since he doesn’t get to play much often, his form in the majors had hit the skid. 

It’s a paradoxical situation, and some believe this way fans will never see the Tiger Woods they want to see. One tweeted, “Unless he plays more tournaments just getting some balls in range isn’t going to help his issues much.” However, despite the poor show, some fans can not ignore his legacy as they believe, “He will figure this out. Just watch.” But not everyone is convinced.

They pointed out that Charlie Woods seemed to be the one working on his game, saying, “This isn’t grind. It’s jus Chilling wit d (the) kid.” Woods’ retirement has been a topic of discussion for quite some time. But last month Woods had defied that despite missing the cut at Valhalla.

This time, after missing the cut, Woods had added, “As far as my last U.S. Open championship, I don’t know when that is. It may or may not be.” But fans are on the other side of it as they commented, “Please stop competing. It’s truly unwatchable,”

Another user sarcastically wrote, “Is the grind also just a ceremony now? 2024 hasn’t been the best year for Jr. Woods. Both his attempts to kickstart his journey on the PGA Tour failed miserably. First, in February, during the pre-qualifiers of the Cognizant Classic, and then in the recent U.S. Open qualifiers, where he carded a score of 9 over 81.

On the other hand, one concerned fan wrote, “Charlie needs to stay in school. He is spending way too much time on the golf course lately!” Woods, during the 2022 PNC Championship, said that midterms ‘are more important than golf.’ Charlie Woods’ schedule tells a different story. Even during his summer breaks, the 15-year-old’s calendar is filled with golf tournaments. In August, one might see Jr. Woods compete at Old Palm GC in the SFPGA Jr. Cup, further stacking up his upcoming days.

Tiger Woods emphasized that he still possesses the strength to lift another silverware. “Granted, my ball-striking and felt like my putting was good enough to be in contention, and I’m not,” the 48-year-old said after missing the cut at the U.S. Open. Tiger Woods will tee off at Royal Troon on July 18.