Dad Tiger Woods’s Absence May Impact Charlie Woods as Large Crowd Reported at Junior Major

Imagine someone’s grandma trying to set you up with her while you’re just trying to focus on playing golf. That’s what Charlie Woods went through in 2024, as described on The Palm Beach Post. Playing in the pre-qualifying round of the Cognizant Classic, Tiger Woods‘s son had fans chasing him around everywhere he went at Lost Lake Golf Club. Ironically, the then-14-year-old found it difficult to get lost among his peers, while the event didn’t take secure measures to bar fan interactions with the players. He didn’t have his father around to protect him from the drama as well as the 82-time PGA Tour champion had decided to skip the tournament. Fast-forward to today, and Charlie might face the same issue again in West Lafayette.

With his father, Tiger, not around, the 16-year-old is playing in the Junior PGA Championship. Stakes are high as it’s not only a major win that he is chasing, but also a spot in the 2025 Jr. Ryder Cup Team U.S. squad. Charlie certainly can’t afford to lose focus. However, considering the atmosphere at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, he might have more than one distraction to divert his attention. In fact, according to reports from Journal & Courier, the count might be over 200.

During the first round of the 2025 Junior PGA Championship, Woods was seen walking on the field in Indiana alone. By alone, we mean he didn’t have his dad around him. But he did have over 200 fans following his every move. While most of the young golfers had a few fans watching their play, the 15-time major winner’s son has all eyes on him. It’s hard to imagine the amount of pressure the teenager might be feeling playing in such a critical event that might determine the trajectory of his season.

Having said that, it’s safe to assume that Charlie Woods must have gotten used to the spotlight by now. He has still managed to perform under the immense pressure. Let’s take a look at how he has played after the end of round two as he chases two dreams in Indiana at the moment.

Charlie Woods fights his peers, fans, and obstacles on the golf course to win big in Indiana

Coming off a disappointing finish in the 77th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship last week, Charlie Woods certainly has a lot to prove this time around. He shot a 1-under on Tuesday that helped him finish at T43 on the leaderboard. However, the runner-up in the 2024 PNC Championship had an amazing round on Wednesday. He got 6-under 66 to rise to T7 on the leaderboard. At present, he sits 2 strokes behind second place. Finishing 2nd will confirm Charlie’s spot in the Jr. Ryder Cup in September 2025.

However, winning the title might be a tall task for him. Lunden Esterline shot 10-under 62 in the second round to shoot himself to the top of the table. He is 5 strokes clear of the field and 7 strokes away from Woods. That’s a very tall mountain to climb for Charlie, even if he is the son of the great Tiger Woods.