Charlie Woods will not be a Stanford Cardinal. The 16-year-old has verbally committed to Florida State, and the decision buries three decades of assumption in a single announcement. A source with knowledge of the commitment confirmed the news to Golf Channel. Brentley Romine first reported it on February 10, 2026.

After Charlie’s PNC Championship debut in 2020, many expected he would follow Tiger to Stanford and continue the family legacy. Instead, his final choices were Florida State and Alabama. Stanford was not on his list.

This decision was not sudden. In 2023,

Coach Toby Harbeck shared that Charlie had already turned down Stanford, preferring schools in the Southeast. Tiger Woods chose Stanford over UNLV in 1993, won the NCAA title in 1996, and turned pro soon after. His daughter Sam is now a freshman there. Despite all this, Charlie chose Tallahassee.

His credentials stand independent of the surname. Last May, he won the Team TaylorMade Invitational by carding 70-65-66, finishing 15-under par and leaping from 609th to 14th in the AJGA rankings. A top-10 at the Junior PGA Championship followed that summer. He has qualified for two consecutive U.S. Junior Amateurs. Ranked ninth in the Class of 2027 per recent TUGR Junior Rankings, Charlie built a portfolio that belongs to an elite prospect, not to a famous father’s son coasting on proximity.

Last November at Mission Inn, Charlie shot a 4-under 68 to help Benjamin School win its second Florida Class 1A state title in three years. Trey Jones, the Seminoles coach, watched every shot from the gallery. His presence helps explain why Charlie chose Florida State instead of following his father’s path.

Trey Jones and Florida State position for college golf’s strongest incoming class

Jones cannot talk about Charlie publicly until signing day next November because of NCAA rules. Still, his presence next to Tiger at the state championship spoke volumes.

The Hall of Fame induction came in December 2024. Jones developed Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger, and Luke Clanton through the Florida State system. The program finished as national runner-up in 2024. Current rankings place the men’s team outside the top 10 in February 2026 Clippd standings, but recruiting momentum tells a separate story.

Miles Russell committed in June 2024. He is ranked first in the Class of 2027 and has already played in PGA Tour events. Now, Charlie Woods joins him in Tallahassee. Having two top-10 juniors join the same program in the same year changes the landscape of ACC golf before either has played a college match.

Signing day is in November 2026, and the verbal commitment stands until then. Charlie Woods grew up watching his father’s historic golf career and saw the Stanford legacy from afar. When it was time to decide, he chose a different path.

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