Charlie Woods has accomplished something in the game of golf his legendary father never did: a high-school state golf championship gold medal. Freshman Charlie helped The Benjamin School capture a Florida high school state golf championship on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida. Is future success in the cards for the younger Woods?
Young Woods Contributes To State Championship Win
Charlie finished in a tie for 26th overall and was fourth out of five golfers on The Benjamin School’s boys team as the team won the FHSAA Class A state championship.
The 14-year-old Woods had his best day of the tournament on day two when he shot a 76 to help the team capture the title.
The elder Woods was an elite golfer at the same age as Charlie, but never won a state high- school championship at Western High School in Anaheim, California.
The 15-time major champion won the CIF SoCal Regional in 1991 and was the Southern Section medalist in 1991, 1993 and 1994. During his high-school career, Woods became the then-youngest golfer to win the U.S. Junior Amateur when he captured the first of his three consecutive titles in 1991.
The younger Woods playing golf and following in his father’s footsteps is a nice story that tugs at the heartstrings. But you have to wonder if it’s a good idea for Charlie. He obviously loves the game, but being in the shadow of a golf giant can’t be easy.
Charlie Woods Will Walk His Own Path
Charlie is a good golfer in his age group, but he isn’t the prodigy his father was. That’s okay. You do wonder though if he knows that it’s okay?
The viral videos of father and son playing together and having the same swing, mannerisms and more are great. But we should all allow Charlie to have his own journey in the game and not project future golf superstardom onto him. He’s only a freshman in high school.
From everything that’s been publicly available, the elder Woods doesn’t appear to be one of those overbearing sports parents. He wants Charlie to enjoy the game, and praises him in areas where he has shown improvement, and offers advice from his vast reservoir of knowledge and experience.
We have no idea if Charlie will ever make the PGA Tour. For now, improving as a high-school golfer and potentially earning a scholarship would be quite the achievement.
Consider that there are roughly three million junior golfers, and roughly 1,300 division-one golf scholarships. You’ve got to be really good to land one. That he’s a freshman contributing to a high-school state championship is a good sign for the younger Woods.
