It’s an exciting weekend for golf fans, as they get to see Tiger Woods tee it up with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship.
Charlie has already garnered a large fan following thanks to his beautiful golf swing and swagger on the course. It’s hard not to see shades of his dad in the way he plays.
Last year, the father-son team rattled off 11 straight birdies on Sunday en route to a runner-up finish at this event. We’ll see if they can do one better and hoist the trophy at this year’s edition.
Here’s a quick look at Charlie’s impressive golf game as the 14-year-old prepares to tee it up on national television once again this weekend.
Charlie Woods golf swing compared to Tiger Woods
Here’s a side-by-side look at the two practicing on the range. However, it’s important to note that this video is almost two years old. Charlie’s swing has evolved quite a bit since then.
That video was taken in the days leading up to Charlie’s first-ever televised event, the 2020 edition of the PNC Championship. Earlier that year, he dominated a 9-hole tournament in Florida after posting a 33 (-3). Since then, he’s continued to refine his game.
His current swing has had people throwing around comparisons to world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, Tiger’s teammate last week at “The Match.” That’s exactly what his dad wants.
How far can Charlie Woods drive the ball?
It’s hard to say exactly, but Tiger admitted last week that Charlie outdrove him for the first time recently.
Tiger claims he “spun” his drive while Charlie “tomahawked” his on the fateful tee shot. Still, in 2023, Tiger averaged 292.6 yards off the tee. That means it’s not out of the question that Charlie is now bombing 260+ yard drives at the age of 14. That’s seriously impressive.
Charlie Woods golf highlights
“I wish I had his move. I analyze his swing all the time,” Tiger said of Charlie. “I wish I could rotate like that and turn my head like that and do some of those positions, but those days are long gone, and I have to relive them through him.”
Here are some of the best clips available of Charlie Woods’ golf swing:
The first question Tiger Woods faced at the PNC Championship was an easy one: Do you get the sense that you’re the second most watched person out here? “Yeah,” he said. “Nothing wrong with that.”
For the man who’s been the biggest draw in golf for the last 25 years, it was an acknowledgement that he’d been surpassed by his 14-year-old son, Charlie, his teammate for the 36-hole tournament taking place this weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. Unfortunately for Tiger, it wasn’t the only way he’s been outdone by his offspring: The 15-time major winner also recently admitted that while playing at home, Charlie had outdriven him on one hole.
This issue of father-son competition raises the billion-dollar question: Could Charlie one day out-earn the old man?
Tiger’s career rake runs to an estimated $1.7 billion, so good luck kid.
Of course, it’s a different world. Next fall Charlie should enter high school, a realm currently coming to grips with NIL money, which could jump start the son’s asset accumulation. “Charlie is in rare air, just from name recognition alone,” said Sam Weber, the senior director of communications at Opendorse, an NIL platform. “He’s similar to Arch Manning, Bronny James and even Shaquille O’Neal’s sons in that way.”
How does that sort of family legacy translate to cold hard NIL cash? “He’s probably looking at seven figures as soon as he’s eligible,” Weber said, adding that it “would be surprising if the brands that have been prominent in Tiger’s career would not want to join the fold. You can almost see the Nike commercial with the two of them.”
There are a few hazards to clear before Charlie and his chaperone can begin to “Just Duo It.” First, Florida law prohibits high school athletes from taking NIL money, though this may be less of an obstacle than it first appears. The law could change or Charlie could forego high-school golf and simply play on one or more of the junior golf circuits available. He’s even eligible to qualify for the U.S. Junior (which Pops won thrice).
The other slippery slopes are those of desire and ability. As much as he seems to enjoy showing his stuff for the cameras, Charlie may not want to spend the rest of his days whacking the turf with a metal stick and chasing a little white orb around the landscape. “It doesn’t really matter how good you are at 11, 12, 14 years of age,” three-time major winner Padraig Harrington recently told Golf Digest on the subject of young Woods. “It’s how much he loves the game when he’s 22 years of age. … It’s fascinating to watch now, but it will come down to how much he really loves the game for how successful he is.”
Then there’s performance. Despite the perfect form and silky smooth mechanics, Charlie may not turn out to be as solid as the block from which he was chipped. Truth told, no one in the recorded history of man has swung a mashie as well as Charlie’s dad, and not that many more have been able to earn a living doing so. The PGA Tour funnel grows so narrow that there’s no dishonor in failing to squeeze through.
Still, evidence that Charlie has the right stuff continues to accrue. His swing has already been clocked at a faster-than-tour average 117 mph, according to Golf Channel. This year he played four events on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, and recorded finishes of 1, T1, 2, and 10. At the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship in November he shot a career-low round of 68, which included his first eagle, and tied for fourth in the Boys 11-13 group, all while Tiger toted his bag.
Then there was last year’s PNC—a two-round scramble in which a major winner (from any tour) pairs with a family member—where he stole the show with both driver and putter as Team Woods finished a close second to the Daly Clan, featuring John and John II. (The younger Daly plays at Arkansas and is making the most of his own legacy via an NIL deal with the restaurant chain Hooters.) Charlie Woods’ brand value is still being determined. “At this stage he compares more to Bronny James than Arch,” Weber said. “Arch is the five-star, guaranteed pro, while Bronny is more that four-star who definitely has a chance but is further from a sure-fire bet.”
Oddsmakers disagree somewhat. Last March, Bookies.com put Charlie’s odds of winning a PGA Tour event by age 21 at +350 (7/2) and by 30 at +200 (2/1).
Advertisers certainly seem to consider him money in the bank as well. Pre 2020, the PNC aired on tape delay, but the ratings have leapt at Tiger and Tiger Jr., reaching an average of 2.29 million viewers last year after bottoming out at 594,000 in 2019. This year, 10 hours of live coverage will run across Peacock, Golf Channel and NBC, and Golf Channel even ran out two hours of action from the Friday pro-am.
“He’s not a risk for advertisers because of his name recognition alone,” said Weber. That also applies to NIL patrons looking to influence the next generation of the sansabelt set, which is why Charlie could cash in even if he never plays pro golf.
Of course, he doesn’t need the money, and if he chooses another career path, he’ll be prepared. “He hasn’t practiced as much as he has the last couple years,” explained a Stanford dropout. “He’s had midterms, and those are more important than golf.” Okay, Dad, whatever you say.
Tiger and Charlie Woods were on the course together for Friday’s pro-am at the 2023 PNC Championship.
The father-son duo are playing in the tournament together for the second consecutive year. Charlie hit a growth spurt over the past 12 months and is getting closer to being as tall as his father.
There was some drama before the Woods’ duo began their round. Cameron Jourdan of GolfWeek.com noted Charlie rolled his ankle as he was warming up and was walking with a slight limp.
It didn’t affect Charlie too much when he stepped up to the first tee.
At just 14 years old, Charlie’s swing was drawing rave reviews from fans and analysts:
Tiger and Charlie are one of 20 pairings competing at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. They had a strong showing last year, finishing second behind John Daly and his son, John Daly II, won the event.
This marks Tiger’s first tournament since the Open Championship in July. He was scheduled to compete in the Hero World Challenge, but had to withdraw due to plantar fasciitis.
Tiger got a warm up for the PNC Championship last week in Capital One’s The Match. The 46-year-old teamed up with Rory McIlroy in the annual event, but they were taken down 3 and 2 in 10 holes by Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Round 1 of the PNC Championship will begin at 10:05 a.m. ET on Saturday. Tiger and Charlie will tee off at 12:02 p.m. ET.
Tiger Woods might not be teeing it up at the US Open this week as he continues to recover from ankle surgery, but his son, Charlie, is more than capable of swinging a club, as he demonstrated at yesterday Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles Country Club, which is hosting this year’s third men’s Major Championship.
The 14-year-old’s swing has been a talking point ever since he made the headlines in December 2021 when he and Woods Senior fired 11 birdies in a row in their second-place finish at the PNC Championship.
That performance was not a one-off, and Woods Junior is showing plenty of signs of becoming quite the golfer. He finished tied for ninth in April’s PGA National Junior Open, and recently cruised to victory on the Hurricane Tour’s Major Championship at Village Golf Course in Florida, where he won the 36-hole tournament by an incredible eight shots.
Tiger was there to watch his son’s performance, and he would have been particularly impressed by his scoring on the par 5s. The 47-year-old has previously admitted that his son is now capable of outdriving him, and he certainly took advantage of the long holes, finishing on five-under in the eight par 5s he played.
Just like his 15-time, Major-winning father, he’s not one to rest on his laurels. Charlie’s swing was captured on social media during a practice round, and it immediately got people comparing his action to his father’s once again.
Last year, Tiger revealed that he had been trying to toughen his son up with mind games, saying: “It’s non-stop, non-stop. It’s trying to get him – if I can get into his head, that means someone else can get into his head. It’s going to get to a point where I can’t get into his head, and then no one else can get in there either. That’s what my dad believed. You’ve got to be willing to take it.”
If Charlie is to embark on a professional golf career and follow in his father’s footsteps, he’s unlikely to operate under the radar – so a strong mental game, which has always been one of Tiger’s greatest strengths, will stand him in good stead.
This week’s US Open is being contested in Los Angeles, Tiger’s home city, for the first time in 75 years. Charlie’s presence there raises speculation as to whether the pair will be at the event, a tournament Woods Senior will have been desperate to have competed in.
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.
Tiger Woods is opening up about life and parenthood in his new series, “A Round With Tiger: Celebrity Playing Lessons.”
The first episode, which was filmed just one day before he was involved in a serious car crash on Feb. 23, debuted Tuesday on Golf Digest and featured Jada Pinkett Smith.
The two engaged in a round of golf and discussed an array of topics, including parenthood, and the 45-year-old athlete shared what he’s learned from his daughter, 14-year-old Sam.
“She has taught me how to be more patient,” he said, describing Sam as his “little girl.” “I don’t ever want her to leave home.”
The five-time Masters winner is also the proud father to 12-year-old son, Charlie. He explained that he doesn’t coach his son in golf because he doesn’t want him to feel pressure there. “I don’t want him to fall onto that trap,” Woods said.
However, it seems even without the coaching, Charlie inherited some of his father’s skill.
“He just watches me do it, and then he kind of does it,” Woods said of Charlie, agreeing with Pinkett Smith that his son is “a natural.”
Woods also opened up about the discipline and resilience he practices, stating, “I’m always fighting, you know, and I’m always trying to get better. That’s all I know.”
“I feel like I’m never out of the fight, you know, in that regard,” he continued. “I’m always pushing.”
The pro also described how his own thoughts on his game always pushed him to work even harder. “For me, I always felt like I wasn’t the most talented,” he shared. “So I felt like I had to work my a– off because I was always younger than everyone else … so I want to become better.”
Woods is currently still recovering from the car crash and gave his “blessing” for “A Round With Tiger: Celebrity Playing Lessons” to be released.
Charlie Woods, the son of golf legend, Tiger Woods has won the junior tournament.
The 14-year-old cruised to an eight-stroke victory in the boys’ 14-15 division at the Major Championship in Royal Palm Beach, Florida over the weekend. Naturally, Charlie was the only player to finish the tournament under par, at -1.
Charlie, 14, was the only player in the entire tournament to finish the weekend under par at one-under.
The father-son duo have competed together at the PNC Championship over the last couple of years, finishing as runner-ups in 2021 thanks to a fairly strong display from the younger member of the Woods’ team.
Tiger, an investor of the Hurricane Junior Tourwas actually on-hand at the tournament to watch his son’s impressive performance. He is still recovering from an ankle surgery that he underwent following the Masters.
He’s set to miss next week’s U.S. Open and it remains unclear if he’s going to be able to participate in The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July.
Charlie Woods might still be a young man, but he is already turning heads on the golf course.
The son of the 15-time major champion has already made a mark in the game, competing at the annual PNC Championship, where he’s been almost as big an attraction as his father. As well as that, he’s featured in junior events around Florida, where he’s competed against other players his age.
Here’s seven things you need to know about the son of Tiger Woods.
ORLANDO — For once, Tiger Woods wasn’t the main attraction on a driving range. That honor went to a sweet-swinging 14-year-old who shares his last name.
All eyes at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, and on the golf interwebs, were fixed Thursday on Charlie Woods. He teed it up for a full 18 alongside his 15-time major winning father in the pro-am for this weekend’s PNC Championship, where Team Woods will make its debut in the event formerly known as the Father-Son Challenge.
The first thing you notice is the size difference. Charlie comes up to his dad’s belly button, a reminder that while he’s becoming a household name, the pre-teen remains a half-decade away from a driver’s license. The next thing that jumps out are the uncanny similarities—in their swings, yes, but more so in their mannerisms. The way they twirl their club after a striped drive. The way they recoil after going after one extra hard. The way they let their right arm dangle after an approach shot. Even the way they toss golf balls to each other, flicking the wrist as if shooting a three-pointer.
One thing is clear: Charlie has been watching his dad as closely as the rest of us.
“It’s so much fun for me to see him enjoying the game,” Woods said. He uses the word enjoy rather frequently when talking about his son’s golfing journey. Fun first, everything else a very distant second. “That’s the whole idea. Just enjoying it, hitting shots, creating those shots. Some of the shots he hit on the front nine, the back nine, it’s just so cool for me to see him enjoying the sport.”
The younger Woods has drawn attention this year for his strong play in junior tournaments over the summer, having won multiple nine-hole events in Florida with under-par scores. You needed to see only one swing on the range to understand why—his move is, simply put, breathtakingly good. Athletic and free, natural and powerful. He striped his TaylorMade driver down the center of the first fairway, seemingly impervious to the 30-person crowd watching his every move. Such is life for Tiger Woods’ only son.
“He’s been playing junior golf tournaments, and he’s been out in front, having people video him,” Tiger said. “This is a different world that we live in now. Everyone has a phone, everyone has an opportunity to video. He’s been out there. He’s enjoying it, and that’s the whole idea.”
Enjoying it, but also laser-focused. The competitive gene runs strong in the Woods clan, and Charlie did not seem to be in exhibition mode. He closely studied his yardage book on each tee. He discussed start lines and wind directions with his pop. He plotted his way around on a blustery morning, reaching the par-5 fifth hole in two (from a forward tee) and sticking his approach on the par-4 11th to kick-in range. And he even needled his father, imploring him to take aggressive lines and “fly it over the trees, dad!”
Team Woods will play another pro-am practice round on Friday before beginning the two-day scramble event alongside Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, at 11:48 a.m. local time Saturday. There will be a third father-son duo in the group: Tiger’s caddie Joe LaCava and his son, Joe LaCava Jr., who is on Charlie’s bag this week.
Surely there will be more than a little trash talk in that group. Woods and Thomas have grown close over the years, and Charlie has hung around JT quite a bit back home in Southeastern Florida.
“He likes to needle me a little bit,” Thomas said with a smile, “I was joking with [Golf Channel’s Steve Burkowski], I have to remind myself that he’s 11-year-old sometimes and I need to watch what I say.
“They’re very similar. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be like your dad if your dad is Tiger Woods?”
Tiger will join in on the trash talk with JT, but one thing he won’t do is push Charlie—to play golf, or to do anything else. Woods was 95 percent father, 5 percent golf coach on Thursday. Yes, he discussed shots with Charlie, but only if Charlie approached him first. There is no helicopter parenting going on here. If Charlie winds up with the same burning passion for golf greatness that Woods did, great. If he doesn’t, that’s cool, too. And that’s a lesson, Woods says, he learned from his father.
“My dad never pushed me to play golf, run track, cross country—any of those things. It was about spending those moments. Whatever Charlie decides to do, whether it’s golf or not, as long as he enjoys it … and he’s doing that.”
