Charlie Woods is Tiger Woods' only son and has been showing signs of emerging from the 15-time Major winner's significant shadow over recent years. The world really began to notice the youngster when he finished runner-up with his famous dad at the 2021 PNC Championship. Here are some of the little-known facts about the emerging talent.
CHARLIE WOODS FACTS
1. His full name is Charlie Axel Woods.
2. Woods was born on February 8, 2009 in Orlando, Florida.
3. He is named after a player Tiger used to look up to – Charlie Sifford. During his speech after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, Tiger said of the former PGA Tour pro: “I always called him 'Grandpa,' because he was like the grandpa I never had. And I ended up becoming so close with him that I ended up naming my son, Charlie, after him.”
4. Charlie's sister is called Sam and his mother is Elin Nordegren - a Swedish former model and nanny. His father is 15-time Major winner, Tiger Woods.
5. During his early teenage years, Woods had his own prototype irons – a set of custom-made TaylorMade P7CW irons. They differed from a standard set due to mass having been removed from the toe and heel sections. The result was reduced weight in the head.
6. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Woods was apparently a keen soccer player but opted to double down on golf during the pandemic when opportunities to play team sports were greatly limited.
7. In 2020, Charlie became the youngest-ever competitor to take part in the PNC Championship. He was 11 years old, but Team Woods still finished fifth.
8. In the final round of the 2021 PNC Championship, Tiger and Charlie hit 11 birdies in a row as they finished runner-up to John Daly and John Daly II - a tournament record.
Watching in awe. 😲11 birdies in a row for Team Woods. pic.twitter.com/iIP9S4UDOZDecember 19, 2021
9. By the age of 14, Charlie Woods could outdrive his dad. In his prime, Tiger was known as one of the game’s longest drivers and even hit a 498-yard drive at one point in 2002. While he has lost some of his distance as the years have worn on, he still averages over 300 yards, but, according to Woods Sr, Charlie now outdrives him. During the 2022 Hero World Challenge, Woods told the Golf Channel: “'It's already happened. He hit a drive at Medalist and got me by a yard.”
10. Tiger plays mind games with Charlie like his father did to him. Once again, during the 2022 Hero World Challenge, Tiger admitted he takes a leaf out of his father’s book on getting into his son’s head. He said: "It's non-stop, non-stop. It's trying to get him - if I can get into his head, that means someone else can get into his head. It's going to get to a point where I can't get into his head, and then no one else can get in there either. That's what my dad believed. You've got to be willing to take it."
11. In June 2023, Woods won the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s Major Championship (14-15 age category) by an incredible eight strokes at Village Golf Course in Royal Palm Beach, Florida.
12. He has an impressive career-low score. On his way to victory in the 14-15 age division of the Last Chance Regional in 2023, Woods carded a six-under 66.
13. He attends The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida.
14. Woods helped his school win a Florida High School Athletic Association Class A golf championship in November 2023, finishing T26th individually. The following season, The Benjamin School reached the State Championship round once again but fell narrowly short of defending their title - ending third. Charlie finished second of his teammates and 32nd individually in the tournament.
15. In February 2024, Woods entered his first pre-qualifying tournament for a PGA Tour event - the Cognizant Classic - but failed to make it through.
16. Woods qualified for the 2024 US Junior Amateur after winning his local qualifying event by one stroke. However, he missed the cut by 18 strokes at the championship.
17. At the end of 2024, Woods was ranked just outside the top-1000 in the American Junior Golf Association Rankings.
18. It’s not just Charlie’s father who thinks he could have a bright future in the game - the bookmakers suspect he could follow in Tiger’s footsteps and take the game by storm, too. Early in 2022, sports website Bookies.com drew up projected odds on Charlie winning a Major by the age of 30, and arrived at 19/2 (+950).
19. Charlie had a replica of his dad’s 14-major-winning Scotty Cameron that he used in his first few PNC Championship starts. According to Tiger, Charlie is not allowed to touch his dad’s original 1997 Masters-winning putter or his current gamer.
20. He goes to watch tennis with his dad. Away from golf, Tiger is an avid tennis fan, and has regularly been spotted catching a live match. It seems that passion has rubbed off on Charlie, too, who has accompanied his dad to tennis matches, including the 2019 US Open.
