Tiger Woods’ son Charlie offered his dad some advice on his swing at the Masters with the 48-year-old struggling with motion in his hips following his 2021 car accident.
Woods was badly injured and required an emergency operation at the nearby Harbor UCLA Medical Centre with the interior unit of the vehicle shielding the golfer from a fatal accident.
Despite the discomfort, Woods has resumed playing professional golf. He retired from the third round of the Masters last year due to severe pain in his foot and ankle and undertook an eight-month break to prepare for what was expected to be a big 2024.
Woods announced his intention to compete in one event each month this year – but he quickly encountered problems, withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational with influenza and skipping March’s Houston Open heading into Augusta in April for the 2024 Masters.
Woods made the cut at Augusta but then struggled and only managed a 60th-placed finish. His son Charlie, 15, was on hand to try and coach his legendary dad, who’s still feeling the effects of the 2021 car crash. At one point, Charlie was seen coaching motion.
“We are,” Woods said when asked on the Today Show whether he and his son were working together on his swing. Charlie has aspirations of becoming a professional golfer himself and looks on track to follow in his father’s footsteps. Whether he manages to beat Woods’ 15 majors is yet to be seen. “It was just like being at home,” Woods continued on practicing with his son. “It was like being at home when we were practicing at home.
“I’m trying to keep the club tight to my body. I’m trying to keep my arm path tight to my body and not let it run on, basically trying to get my hips to move. I’ve struggled with my hips moving, especially since my accident, my right leg doesn’t work that well.
“So, I have a hard time with that – I tend to slide. When I slide, I tend to hit these blocks and I’m trying to get that out of my system. He puts the club there to incentivise me to turn.”
Woods’ daughter Sam isn’t as interested in golf as her brother, though. “She has, I think, a kinda negative connotation to the game.,” Woods continued.
“Because at that time, when she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her. I had to pack, and I had to leave, and I had been gone for weeks, and there’s a negative connotation to it.”
One of the most famous father-son duos in the sports world is certainly Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie Woods. On the 8th of February 2009, the golf legend and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, welcomed their second child and only son, Charlie Axel Woods, into the world. The boy is now 14 years old and has already garnered the attention of millions in the golf world. After all, he too has taken a liking to the sport, just like his father. The two have obviously spent a lot of time together out on the course, so let’s visit a few of those memorable moments.
Charlie Woods learns to swing like Tiger Woods at just 4 years old
Just like his father, Woods Jr. began his journey in golf at a very young age. He was only 4 years old when he was first spotted swinging a club. And his first teacher of course was Tiger himself. “He just emulates what I do,” said the 82-time PGA Tour champion in 2013. “I’ll hit and he’ll hit, and his swing starts mimicking what I am doing.” So, while other kids played with crayons, Charlie had already started on the path of following in his father’s footsteps.
His first-ever golf tournament was the U.S. Kids Golf Competition in Florida, where the youngster shot a 55 for nine holes, placing second. Charlie now plays junior golf and is spotted on the course at many Hurricane Junior Golf Tour events and also in Junior PGA South Florida events. Last year, he also competed at the Notah Begay III Boys’ Junior Golf National Championship.
Like Father, Like Son: Tiger and Charlie Woods playing at the PNC Championship for 3 years straight
Besides his junior golf events, the youngster has also teed off at the PNC Championship alongside his father. The duo has competed three consecutive times in the event, first taking the course in December 2020. Charlie was only 11 at the time and was the youngest player ever to feature at the event. The duo finished 7th that year, but Tiger was just glad to have been able to play with his son. The following year, in 2021, too, the pair returned to the event. Despite his injuries that year after his unfortunate car crash, Tiger chose to play alongside Little Woods in Orlando. They even narrowly missed victory, placing 2nd and losing out to John Daly and his son, John Daly II.
2022 was the third time in a row that the father and son were featured at the event. This time, they were both playing through injuries. While Tiger suffered from a severe case of plantar fasciitis, Charlie had just rolled his ankle a day before the event. And the crowd watched in awe as the two limped on the course together. Indeed, a bonding moment like no other! Playing through their pain, the pair finished eighth at the event. But they almost certainly will return next year looking to take home the championship belts and their first win as a team.
A style copied exactly from his father, Tiger Woods
There is no doubt that Charlie looks up to his father and wants to be exactly like him. Why wouldn’t he? His father is, after all, a golf legend. And despite having a long way to go, little Woods is already on his way. Because he has been in the limelight recently, many little things about him have been noticed. And astonishingly many things he does are exactly like his father!
From the way Charlie swings his club to the way he mumbles hopefully as he watches the ball soar, it’s all a mini version of his father. Even the way he twirls his club, or stands on the course, or even rubs his nose, it’s all a facsimile of Tiger’s mannerisms. His style, which he’s undoubtedly inherited from his dad, from the way he picks up his tee, to him pumping his fists in celebration all resemble his dad. Hopefully, his golf achievements will reflect his father one day as well! That is certainly what Charlie hopes.
Charlie being the prodigy to carry on his father’s legacy
Not only are young Woods’ style and technique like his father’s, but so are his resolve and skill. Ever since he played his first PNC championship in 2020, the public has taken note of how ridiculously gifted the gofer is. And with that observation comes the unspoken statement that he will take over his father’s legacy.
Time and again, he has proven how great of a command he has over the sport. Be it winning at junior events, or being one of the youngest competitors in ever-competitive fields, just like his father, Charlie too seems to want to be the best. And that drive is the first step to becoming a golf legend.
If the 14-year-old does choose to follow in his father’s footsteps, undoubtedly all eyes will be on him. But with his current skill and the way he’s progressing in the game, he certainly does have the potential to take on his father’s long list of accomplishments. And with the golf legend himself to guide him, there is no one better suited to be Tiger’s heir than his literal heir!
Tiger Woods is appreciative of his son’s presence on the field
There’s nothing more in this world that the 15-time major winner loves more than his children and spending time with them. And he has made that known multiple times in the past. With Charlie, however, the time they spend together is extra special; this is because the two share a love for golf. They have obviously, over the years, spent tons of time out on the course together. But for the golf legend, that will never be enough, because he loves that way of bonding with him.
At the 2023 PNC Championship too, when Woods was asked about his best experience with the event, his heart-warming response included Charlie. “Any time I get a chance to spend time with my son, it’s always special,” he said. The golf pro went on to call the last 3 years at the event “magical” because he got to play his favorite sport alongside his son “in a competitive forum.”
It certainly seems like we’ll be seeing a lot more of the duo at the PNC in the years to come. After all, they both enjoy it so much. And it’s the perfect coming-together of two things they love. And the fans surely hope that their 3-year streak continues!
Tiger Woods trains his son ruthlessly, but for his own good
Many have wondered how Charlie has gotten so good at such a young age. And the answer is simple: Tiger Woods. The golf legend trains his son and never goes easy on him. He not only coaches him on his swing and technique, but also tests him mentally, just like his father, Earl Woods, did for him.
The pro golfer wanted his son to be headstrong in addition to his golf skills. “If I can get into his head, that means someone else can get into his head,” he said during the Golf Channel broadcast of the Hero World Challenge. “It’s getting to a point where I can’t get in his head, and then no one else can get in there either.”
Woods explained that Earl trained him in that manner, and it worked wonders for him. As a result, he wanted Charlie to have a similarly strong mental resolve. “That’s what my dad believed in,” he stated. “You’ve got to be willing to take it.”
Charlie Woods is as popular as Shaquille O’Neal’s Sons
The sports world has unquestionably seen many father-son duos. And the children, through their fathers’ fame, automatically gain rapid popularity. And that’s exactly how it worked out for Charlie too. In fact, he’s now so well-known that he may be one of the most popular athlete-child out there. And this may prove to be the case very soon, making him millions.
Through NIL contracts related to his name, image, and likeness, Charlie could go on to earn ridiculous amounts of money. And we’re not the only ones who think so. “Charlie is in rare air, just from name recognition alone. He’s similar to Arch Manning, Bronny James, and even Shaquille O’Neal’s sons in that way,” said Sam Weber, the director of the NIL Platform Opendorse, in December 2022. “He’s probably looking at seven figures as soon as he’s eligible.”
And although his golf skills certainly help, they aren’t even a necessity for him to market himself. Just his last name is enough, as per Webber. “You can almost see the Nike commercial with the two of them,” he said. And boy, is he right. Charlie and Tiger together would definitely sell!
Which of the above is your favorite father-son moment? And do you think little Woods will go on to become a legend like his father? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
Charlie Woods might be just 14 years old, but he still garners plenty of attention.
This week, at the PNC Championship, that spotlight shines the brightest. Having the last name “Woods” has that effect.
Earlier this week, we got a prime example of that trickle-down Tiger effect.
On Wednesday, according to a PGA Tour report, “Charlie was listed among the group of players who would compete from the second-longest set of tees, but with an asterisk next to his name that signified that he had been moved at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.” That led Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis to report that Charlie would play back two tee boxes at the PNC from where he played a year ago, which was picked up by several news outlets, including GOLF.com. If Charlie were to play those tees, he would be playing a setup longer than 6,700 yards, alongside the likes of John Daly and Nelly Korda.
But, according to Joe Terry, the PGA Tour’s chief referee, that decision was never made.
“The thing is, there’s no change,” Terry told GOLF.com Thursday. “We had heard that Tiger might wish for Charlie to play a longer golf course. But I had scheduled Charlie to play the tee box for his age with the 14-year-olds. So there’s been no change — he will play from the 14-year-old tees.”
The initial report sparked debate on social media as to the fairness of Charlie playing back a tee box. But, according to Terry, that was merely “ill-founded speculation.” The only reason the rules committee would have moved Charlie back a tee box would have been if his father had requested it.
“If Tiger requested it, we would certainly honor that request,” Terry said. “The committee does have the authority to allow a change if someone wants to play a longer golf course. … Just because he’s playing better and he’s Charlie Woods — we’re not going to punish him because he’s 14.”
Now, Charlie will play from a course that is some 300 yards shorter (6,452 vs. 6,754) than the original report indicated.
Charlie and Tiger Woods are scheduled to tee off in the first round of the PNC Championship at 12:02 p.m. ET on Saturday. You can find full tee times here.
