Charlie Woods might be celebrating his new NIL deal with TaylorMade, but fans aren’t happy. The 17-year-old son of 15-time major winner Tiger Woods was all over the headlines on Friday, September 4, when news broke that the popular golf brand had signed Woods Jr.
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“Charlie Woods has officially signed with TaylorMade Golf,” NUCLR Golf reported on X alongside an announcement video.
The notable part: at 17, he joined his father and peers like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy in TaylorMade’s roster. Regardless, in the aftermath, Woods Jr. himself released a statement.
“Having TaylorMade in my corner has been great,” he said, per Golf[dot]com’s Jack Hirsh. “They’ve supported me a lot over the last year, and I’m really excited to officially be part of Team TaylorMade. So many great players have been a part of this team, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.”
David Abeles, TaylorMade Golf President & CEO, was also excited about the new signing.
“We build our roster of athletes around those who are driven by the game of golf and have an unmatched desire to compete at the highest level,” said Abeles. “Charlie epitomizes that every time he tees it up. The growth of his game over the last few years speaks for itself, and we are humbled he chose TaylorMade to support him as he competes at the junior level and during his transition to collegiate golf.”
The announcement came as Woods Jr. was competing at the Junior Players Championship. He produced a memorable ‘Tiger moment’ at TPC Sawgrass during the event, evoking one of his father Tiger Woods’ most famous moments at the venue. On the 17th-hole island green, he stepped up under pressure and delivered a shot that drew comparisons to his father.
Despite a memorable 17th-hole moment, Woods Jr. endured a shaky season: last at the Junior Invitational, one stroke short of U.S. Open qualifying, T-28 at Team TaylorMade after failing to defend.
Amid the struggles, he showed resilience in specific moments—career-best rounds, high-pressure qualifiers—but couldn’t sustain it. At the U.S. Junior Amateur, he bounced back from a 76 with an even-par 70 to reach a 14-for-2 playoff, only to bow out with a bogey on the first extra hole.
After all his work this season, Woods Jr. ranked 306th in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) rankings, which doesn’t appear to justify his NIL deal, at least in the eyes of the fans. Naturally, they started questioning TaylorMade’s decision to sign the 17-year-old.
One commented, “Too bad he has done nothing of significance to deserve this other than being a nepo.”
Another chimed in, “🤣🤣🤣. Is Charlie even top 500 in his own state of Florida?”
Someone else questioned, “For what? What has he done?”
A fourth user claimed, “Nepo baby that hasn’t earned anything.”
This user, however, brought up the Good Good Golf controversy. “Thank god its not Callaway. They’re dead to me,” commented the user.
The backlash raises questions about NIL criteria for junior golfers.