At Tuesday’s U.S. Open Qualifying, Brett Roberts (-6/1st) snatched medalist honors with a six-under 66, striding two strokes ahead of everyone else on the field. Meanwhile, amateur Blake Timble (-4) finished in solo second, while Hunter Fry (-3/ 3rd), Eric Dietrich (-2/ 4th), and Tyler Stachkunas (-1/5th) took the remaining spots. Charlie Woods, however, wasn’t as successful for the third straight year.

At Eagle Trace Golf Club, Woods (E/72) narrowly missed snagging one of five guaranteed spots in Golf’s Longest Day, the U.S. Open Final Qualifying on June 8. He fell heartbreakingly shy of his goal, finishing one stroke out of a playoff with an even-par 72. Surprising stuff, given that he has had successful runs here in the past. However, no doubt, his performance on Tuesday would raise some eyebrows.

The 17-year-old opened his day with a bogey. His next five holes included four pars and one birdie, returning him to level par for the day. On the 7th, however, he made a double. Having made the turn in 38 strokes, Woods produced birdies on the 10th and 12th. A bogey on the 14th set him back, before he took back control with a birdie on the 15th. But, by that time, the par on the next three didn’t help him, pushing him for a tie for the 10th.

As mentioned before, this is a surprising run.

Last season, Woods qualified at the same course for the U.S. Junior Amateur, his second straight time.

At that time, he reached 3 under through eight holes, then bogeyed the par-4 18th to turn in 2 under (good for T-2). After the turn, he played steadily with six pars before closing bogey-birdie-bogey for a 1-under 71. Tied for fifth with Oscar Crowe and Matthew Marigliano, the trio entered a playoff for the final spot. Woods came on top.

However, his performances in the U.S. Open Qualifying haven’t been very promising either. Last season, he finished seven shots behind those who qualified for the 36-hole final stage. It was better than his 2024 performance, where he ended the run with 81.

Meanwhile, Woods’s performance this season has been a mixed bag. At the Terra Cotta Invitational, he tied for 42nd, 15 strokes behind winner Connor Doyal. His season highlight came at the Junior Orange Bowl, where he placed T19. But the next month at the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship, he slipped to 68th. Results worsened at the Junior Invitational with a 36th-place finish.

In the face of such defeat, Woods remains positive. After missing out on the Terra Cotta Invitational, he wrote, “Thanks to the @terracottainvitational for a great week and the chance to compete. Grateful for the experience and excited to keep building!”

However, the challenge for Woods is hardly over.

Charlie Woods to defend his biggest title (yet) in May

Now pledged to Florida State, Charlie Woods has entered the Team TaylorMade Invitational, set for May 21-24. This three-day event once more gathers top junior talent worldwide, featuring Miles Russell, Giuseppe Puebla, and Jessy Huebner. It’s certainly not going to be easy holding against these guys, but Woods has shown that he can.

Woods fired a 15-under total to claim victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational, his first AJGA invitational title. The win rocketed him into the AJGA Rolex Rankings’ top 10, capping a stellar breakout 2025 junior campaign. He currently sits at No. 17 in the latest AJGA rankings.

Outside the course, Woods continues to make waves. Back in February, the amateur joined hands with Players Group Management, represented by Allen Hobbs. It was his first-ever agency deal after committing to Florida State University. Sahith Theegala, Will Zalatoris, Caleb Surratt, and Russell were already part of the deal.

For now, however, the fans would hope to see Woods successfully defend his title against Russell.