Who Is Charlie Woods? A Complete Guide to Tiger Woods’ Son and His Golf Career

Charlie Woods is the 17-year-old son of golf legend Tiger Woods and a competitive junior golfer in his own right. Best known for playing alongside his father each year at the PNC Championship, Charlie has also competed in USGA junior events, including three straight appearances at the U.S. Junior Amateur. He has verbally committed to play college golf at Florida State starting in 2027.

Who Is Charlie Woods?

Charlie Axel Woods was born in 2009 to Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, making him the younger of the couple’s two children alongside older sister Sam. He grew up around professional golf almost by default, but he’s spent the last several years building a competitive record that stands apart from his father’s shadow, even as comparisons are inevitable given the family name.

Golf fans first got a real look at Charlie in December 2020, when he teamed up with Tiger at the PNC Championship, an event that pairs past major champions with a family member. That appearance turned him into one of the most closely watched junior golfers in the country, not because he asked for the attention, but because his swing, his mannerisms, and even his club twirl reminded viewers instantly of his dad.

Since then, Charlie has shifted from a curiosity to a legitimate junior competitor. He plays in amateur events across Florida and nationally, works with his own coaches, and has started to build a scoring record that reflects steady improvement rather than a famous last name.

Charlie Woods’ Golf Career So Far

The PNC Championship

The PNC Championship remains the event most associated with Charlie. It’s a 36-hole, unofficial team competition where past major winners pair with a relative, often a spouse, sibling, or child. Charlie and Tiger have played together every year since 2020 and have come close to winning outright.

Their best finish came in 2024 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, where they lost in a playoff to Bernhard Langer and his son Jason. That final round included a signature moment for Charlie: his first career hole-in-one, made on the par-three fourth hole during the final round. Tiger later described it as an unbelievable moment and the thrill of a lifetime for his son.

U.S. Junior Amateur Appearances

Beyond the PNC Championship, Charlie has tried to qualify for and compete in the U.S. Junior Amateur, one of the USGA’s marquee junior events, three years running.

• 2024 (Oakland Hills, Michigan): His debut ended after stroke-play rounds of 82 and 80, missing the cut to match play by a wide margin.
• 2025 (Trinity Forest, Texas): He qualified for a second straight year after winning a playoff at a Florida qualifier, then posted rounds of 80 and 74 at the championship itself, again missing match play.
• 2026 (Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania): Charlie showed clear progress, opening with a 76 before rallying with a 70 in the second round to force his way into a playoff for the final match-play spots. He narrowly missed advancing, bowing out in the playoff after a bogey on the first extra hole.

That steady trend, from an 18-shot cut miss in 2024 to a one-shot playoff loss in 2026, is a more accurate picture of his development than any single highlight reel swing.

Other Amateur Events

Charlie also competes in regional and national junior tournaments outside the USGA calendar. At the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in South Carolina, he finished tied for 25th in a field that included several top-ranked junior players. He has also picked up wins at smaller events, including a two-stroke victory at the SFPGA Junior Cup in Florida.

He’s attempted to test himself against professional-level competition too. In February 2024, he entered a pre-qualifier for the Cognizant Classic, a PGA Tour event in Florida, but shot an 86 that included a 12 on one hole, a reminder of just how large the gap remains between junior golf and the professional tour.

Why People Search for Information on Charlie Woods

Most people looking up Charlie Woods fall into a few categories:

• Golf fans curious about the next generation of the Woods family, especially since Tiger Woods’ own competitive playing time has been limited by injury in recent years.
• Junior golf followers tracking recruiting classes and USGA championship results, since Charlie is now part of a well-known group of top junior players.
• General sports fans who saw a viral clip, such as his hole-in-one at the PNC Championship or a moment from a recent U.S. Junior Amateur broadcast, and want context.

Because Charlie is still a minor competing in amateur golf, much of the publicly available information centers narrowly on his tournament results and golf development rather than his personal life, and that’s intentional on the part of his family.

Common Misconceptions About Charlie Woods

Misconception: Charlie is already a professional golfer. He is not. As of 2026, Charlie remains an amateur competing in junior and college-recruiting-level events. He has not turned pro and has not played on the PGA Tour.

Misconception: He’s expected to be exactly like his father. Comparisons are natural given the family connection, but golf analysts who follow junior competition generally describe Charlie as a developing player with real potential, not a finished product measured against a 15-time major champion. His own scoring trends show gradual improvement rather than dominance.

Misconception: The PNC Championship is a real measure of his skill level against adults. The PNC Championship is a scramble-style team event, meaning players choose the better of two shots on each hole. It’s entertaining and competitive, but it isn’t a direct comparison to individual stroke-play performance, which is why his USGA junior results are a better gauge of where his game actually stands.

Charlie Woods’ College Golf Future

Charlie has verbally committed to play college golf at Florida State, joining the Seminoles’ 2027 recruiting class. That class also includes Miles Russell, a highly ranked junior golfer who has played against Charlie in several of the same events, including the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur.

A verbal commitment is not a signed National Letter of Intent, so plans can still change before Charlie officially enrolls. But it does signal that college coaches view him as a legitimate Division I prospect on his own merits, separate from his family name.

Key Facts About Charlie Woods

• Born in 2009 to Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren; younger sibling of Sam Woods.
• First played in the PNC Championship alongside his father in December 2020.
• Made his first career hole-in-one at the 2024 PNC Championship.
• Has played in the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2024, 2025, and 2026, showing steady score improvement each year.
• Verbally committed to play college golf at Florida State, part of the 2027 recruiting class.
• Remains an amateur golfer as of 2026, with no professional tour appearances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Charlie Woods? Charlie Woods is the teenage son of golf legend Tiger Woods. He’s a competitive junior golfer known both for playing alongside his father at the PNC Championship and for his own results in USGA junior events.

How old is Charlie Woods? Charlie Woods was born in 2009, making him 17 years old as of 2026.

Has Charlie Woods played on the PGA Tour? No. Charlie is an amateur golfer. He once attempted to qualify for a PGA Tour event through a local pre-qualifier but did not advance.

What college will Charlie Woods play golf for? Charlie has verbally committed to Florida State University, expected to join the golf program as part of its 2027 recruiting class.

Has Charlie Woods won any golf tournaments? He has recorded amateur wins, including the SFPGA Junior Cup, and has posted competitive finishes at national junior events like the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

Does Charlie Woods play with his father, Tiger Woods? Yes, they’ve played together every year at the PNC Championship since Charlie’s debut there in 2020, a team event where past major champions partner with a family member.

Key Takeaways

• Charlie Woods is a 17-year-old junior golfer and the son of Tiger Woods.
• He is best known publicly for the annual PNC Championship, where he and his father have finished as high as runner-up.
• His U.S. Junior Amateur results from 2024 to 2026 show real, measurable improvement.
• He has verbally committed to play college golf at Florida State starting in 2027.
• He remains an amateur golfer with no professional tour appearances as of 2026.

Conclusion

Charlie Woods’ story right now is really a junior golf development story that happens to carry one of the most recognizable last names in sports. His results, an 18-over debut in 2024 followed by a near miss at match play in 2026, tell a more grounded story than the viral highlight clips do. Whether he ends up following his father to the professional ranks is still years away from being answered, but his current path, capped by a college commitment to Florida State, puts him on a fairly normal track for a talented young amateur golfer.