Brooks Koepka. Daniel Berger. Jonas Blixt. Luke Clanton. That’s quite a lineup of talent, and they all have one thing in common. They’ve been coached by Florida State University (FSU) head golf coach Trey Jones. Having spent more than two decades at the university, Jones has seen his fair share of golfing prodigies come through the program. However, according to his praise for Charlie Woods, the latter had stunned Jones’ seasoned eyes.  

“He might have the best balance and rhythm of any player I’ve coached,” Jones said, as per Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine, before praising Charlie’s unique golfing ability. “The way his body moves and the club, it looks super easy and slow. He can get some really high ball speed. You can’t coach that, just like you can’t coach a 100 mph baseball or 4.2 40. … He really enjoys and knows how to take speed off, which is super rare for an 18-year-old. So, he can sit there with a back pin and a pitching wedge and hit it.”

Jones, of course, got Woods Jr.’s age wrong. But the praise is genuine. It comes on the heels of Tiger’s son officially signing his athletic grant-in-aid agreement with FSU on Wednesday. Not that anyone was caught off guard! Besides the signing-day ceremony on Friday, Charlie had already committed to the university and Jones’ program back in February. He will now join the Seminoles’ golf team alongside Miles Russell, who also put pen to paper on Wednesday after committing to FSU in June 2025. 

The roster also features Edwin Askerfors and Kaden Puranik, giving the team an exciting group of young talent to work with. After the news was confirmed, Woods himself penned a message on Instagram, thanking his coaches and family while expressing excitement about starting his new journey with Jones, his new teammates, and FSU. 

“Proud to officially be a Seminole,” he wrote. “Huge thank you to my family, coaches, and everyone who has helped me get here. Can’t wait to get started and compete alongside my new teammates. Go Noles! 🍢”

In any case, Jones’ praise isn’t without reason. Charlie Woods enjoyed the best season of his career in 2026, highlighted by a career-best finish at the Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, where he tied for eighth after rounds of 71, 73, and 71, recording 14 birdies along the way. He also secured his third consecutive appearance in the U.S. Junior Amateur through a dramatic qualifying playoff. 

At the Junior PGA Championship, he made the 36-hole cut with rounds of 75 and 70, although a third-round 77 ended his campaign. Woods Jr. also continued to make his mark at the high school level, helping lead Benjamin School to strong finishes in regional and state competitions. That said, Jones isn’t the only one who has praised Charlie Woods and been impressed by his skills at such a young age. 

Padraig Harrington praised Charlie Woods when the latter was 11

Ahead of the 2022 PNC Championship, Padraig Harrington revealed that he was more interested in watching Tiger Woods‘ son than the 15-time major champion himself. Having spent a lifetime studying and experimenting with the golf swing, Harrington was particularly fascinated by Charlie’s technique and how well he handled the club at such a young age. 

“Charlie. Actually, to be honest, definitely Charlie, Charlie, Charlie,” Harrington said when asked who he was looking forward to watching at the family team event.

The three-time major champion recalled being impressed with Charlie’s swing even when he was 11. 

“It’s very interesting for a 13-year-old. And he did it when he was 11. It’s hard to support the angles in a golf swing at 11, he could hold the club at the right position,” he explained.

Harrington also pointed out how most young golfers struggle to develop their swings at that age, but Charlie was already showing exceptional ball-striking ability. On top of that, Harrington praised how the youngster handled the pressure of being the son of one of golf’s greatest champions. 

Clearly, receiving praise isn’t anything new for Charlie Woods. But it would be interesting to see whether that praise translates into results.