Tiger Woods’ son Charlie is continuing to make strides in the golf world since going pro a few years ago, although his latest tournament didn’t end in his favor.
On July 22, the 17-year-old was eliminated from the U.S. Junior Amateur after being in a 14-for-2 playoff. Charlie was hoping to advance to the sudden-death playoff round.
However, just as he was about to make a pivotal par-5 hole in two shot, a camera shutter from a fan’s phone nearby happened to distract him as seen in a video shared on X, per The Athletic.
During his third shot, Charlie could be seen teeing up, before an iPhone camera’s loud “click” sounded, which seemingly distracted the teen player, who hit a bogey. He then dropped his golf club in frustration and was filmed muttering: “Really, dude?”
Charlie has played twice previously at the U.S. Junior Amateur, with 2027 being his final eligible attempt before he ages out. His dad Tiger, 50, in comparison, won the U.S. Junior Amateur three consecutive times, going on to also win the U.S. Amateur three times in a row.
In 2020, Charlie made his debut at the PNC Championship at just 11 years old, becoming the youngest player in the tournament’s history. He entered his first pre-qualifying event for the PGA Tour in 2024, signaling his decision to go pro.
His first major victory came the year after, when he won the Team TaylorMade Invitational, his first American Junior Golf Association win.
Speaking with BBC Sports after the victory, the then-16-year-old noted: “Being able to say to myself that I’ve won an absolutely amazing event, and to say I’ve performed under some high, high pressure situations is just huge going forward, because I haven’t been able to say that I have done that. And now that I can, it’s just a big thing for my mental game going forward.”
He returned to TaylorMade the year after, and while he didn’t take home the victory a second year in a row, he still shared his gratitude on returning as the defending champion. “Special week at the Team TaylorMade Invitational,” Charlie wrote on Instagram in May 2026.
© Getty Images“Grateful for the opportunity to come back and compete against some of the best junior players in the game. Thanks to the AJGA and TaylorMade for putting on such a great event.”
In February 2026, the teen shared on social media that he had committed to Florida State to join the Florida State Seminoles men’s golf team when he graduates high school. “Excited to announce my commitment to play golf at Florida State University — go Noles!” he shared online.
© Getty ImagesHis proud dad and PGA legend Tiger reacted to his post with: “Congratulations Charlie. I’m so proud of you on entering this next chapter of your life.”
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