Charlie Woods, the 15-year-old son of golf legend Tiger Woods, secured his spot in his first USGA championship by posting the leading score among qualifiers for the U.S. Junior Amateur event scheduled for next month at Oakland Hills.
Despite a rocky start with a bogey-double bogey on the first two holes at Eagle Trace Golf Club, Woods managed to finish strong with a 1-under 71, earning him the medalist title at his qualifier site along with three other players.
Reflecting on his performance, Woods remarked, 'I didn’t play great my first two holes, but I played really good for the last 16. I just told myself not to make any more bogeys or doubles and I took advantage of some nice birdie looks when I had them.'
Tiger Woods, a golf prodigy himself, was 14 when he qualified for his first U.S. Junior Amateur, eventually reaching the semifinals. He went on to win his first U.S. Junior Amateur a year later at Bay Hill in a thrilling 19-hole match. Notably, Woods remains the only player to clinch the U.S. Junior title three consecutive times.
Participants in the U.S. Junior Amateur must be under 19 years old before the championship concludes. The upcoming event is scheduled to take place from July 22-28 at Oakland Hills in the suburbs of Detroit, where Woods will be among the 264 players vying for a spot in the match play rounds after 36 holes of stroke play on the North and South courses.
Tiger Woods, a nine-time USGA champion, boasts an impressive record with victories in three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateurs, three U.S. Amateurs, and three U.S. Open titles. Expressing his aspirations, Charlie Woods stated, 'The USGA means a lot to me. I want to win USGA championships and hopefully one day the U.S. Open.'
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