Something akin to the Masters version of Junior golf is currently underway at Sage Valley Golf Club. The Junior Invitational has hosted star golfers like Scottie Scheffler, Joaquin Niemann, and Akshay Bhatia, and is regarded as the “most prestigious event in junior golf.” Joshua Bai and Pimpisa Rubrong are the current leaders in the respective boys’ and girls’ divisions. Many other junior stars like defending champions Asterisk Talley, Giovanni Daniele Binaghi, Luke Colton, Louis Klein, Miles Russell, Michael Riebe, Tyler Watts, and Logan Reilly are shining bright at the exclusive event. We would have liked to take Charlie Woods‘s name as well but he is struggling.

So, Woods Jr. didn’t have a great start. The 16-year-old carded two birdies, six bogeys, and a double bogey on the first day. The latter came on the par-5 eighth hole. The result? A finish of 78, eventually pushed him to the 32nd position in a roster of 36 boys golfers. Charlie’s performance might sit a little heavier on the young golfer after the missed cut in the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship. At that time, the young golfer opened up the tournament with a 10 over par 82. He then followed it up with a 5 over par 77 round on the second day. Despite showing improvement, he missed the cut by 8 strokes.

The young prodigy registered a painful loss in the 2024 season PNC Championship. Yeah, the finish wasn’t that great but he finished it on a high note with a hole-in-one at the PNC Championship. This perfect 7-iron shot on the 4th had fans buzzing. Charlie has had a fair share of glory to his name too, having won the state championship in 2023 with his team and the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s major championship that same year. Some would still argue that he has yet to make a mark in the golf world. Undoubtedly, the pressure sits heavy on him. So, how are the fans reacting to this latest situation?

Golf fans are hopeful for Charlie Woods’s future despite a poor round

One of the fans wrote, “Unfortunately went on to shoot 78.” And, unfortunately, that’s one of the major reasons for the disappointments. In the first two holes, the young golfer seemed promising. He made an even par in both the 4-par first hole and the 3-par second hole. It was indeed a great beginning.

One golf fan seemed a little harsher in their judgment. “Anybody else think he will never be a tour player ?” Looking at Charlie Woods’s current form, the fan’s concern makes sense. He qualified for the Junior Invitational, so he is already one of the good ones. Additionally, Charlie Woods is only 16 and a player needs to be at least 18 to get into the Tour. He did attempt to make his PGA Tour debut last year at the Cognizant Classic but failed to advance from a pre-qualifying event in Hobe Sound. 

Another netizen showcased more restraint and hoped for less attention on Woods. “Or…we could all just let him play golf with an ounce of anonymity.” While the demand to allow Charlie Woods to play without excessive attention or media hype makes sense, it’s also undeniable that the media attention will not lessen on the young golfer, considering he is Tiger Woods‘s son. We all remember when his head coach revealed condos opening up and people coming out because they knew Charlie was playing. However, this fan wasn’t alone in this hope. Several other fans hoped for the same. 

“He’s way too hard on himself,” shared the next fan. And, without a doubt, there’s truth in that. Being Tiger’s son, he is undoubtedly under immense pressure. Last year, at the Junior Amateur, the golfer was seen in a similar state. The young golfer was visibly frustrated, slamming and swinging his clubs after poor shots.

One fan seemed to drag down not only Charlie Woods but also Kai Trump, President Donald Trump’s granddaughter. “Charlie and Kai Trump really have no business being in this tournament. Neither is good enough.” Though harsh, it is true. Like Charlie Woods, Kai Trump seemed to struggle during the first round. She shot 89, eventually ending up in the last place in a field of 24 elite girl golfers. Trump made a birdie, 7 bogeys, 2 double bogeys, 1 triple bogey, and 1 quadruple bogey. 

Have you ever witnessed Charlie play live? If not, would you want to? Let us know your thoughts!