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 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.
Charlie Woods is hurting, too? Charlie Woods is hurting, too.
But you can exhale.
“You know these kids: They’ll be running by tomorrow,” Notah Begay said.
Indeed. That’s the good news. But the unfortunate update is that Charlie, the 14-year-old son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, may be slowed for this weekend’s PNC Championship, the event that pairs major winners with family members. A left leg limp from the younger Woods was noticeable during Friday’s pro-am, and on the Golf Channel broadcast, Begay, an analyst and Woods family friend, said it came after he rolled his ankle while hitting on the range.
After the round, Tiger was asked in a press conference if Charlie is feeling OK.
“He is,” Tiger said. “His ankle’s not exactly — well, it’s better than mine.”
He chuckled, then added, “We’ll be ready come game time tomorrow.”
Following Tiger’s presser, Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis reported that Woods said Charlie’s limp was the result of a “growth spurt.”
Whatever the cause of his discomfort, Charlie joins his father at less than 100 percent, though Tiger’s troubles are in the opposite leg. The elder Woods is battling plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and that injury came as an extension of multiple injuries to his right leg suffered during a car crash in early 2021.
“I know people at home are going: ‘You got to be kidding me. What’s going with Charlie? Does he have plantar fasciitis?’” announcer Dan Hicks said on the broadcast. “But apparently, Notah Begay, Charlie sprained his ankle while hitting golf balls on the range?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t call it a sprain,” Begay said. “He just kind of rolled it. I asked him, he’s like, ah, it’s just a little bit wobbly at this point.”
“We got limping Woods,” Hicks said. “That’s not what we signed up for here. Man, if they win this thing, it will be the most incredible win ever.”
Ahead of the pro-am, the PGA Tour’s Twitter account had filmed the younger Woods warming up, and the Twitter account @TWlegion noticed that his left leg was taped up. On the broadcast, he limped, but played on, and he and dad are scheduled to start their first round at just after noon ET on Saturday.
On Friday, Hicks and analyst Peter Jacobsen noticed the younger Woods’ limp multiple times.
“I want to be like my dad, but I’m even going to incorporate the limp,” Jacobsen said.
“He’s going to extremes here,” Hicks said.
Friday’s news follows a year from Tiger Woods where he played in just three events — the Masters, PGA Championship and Open Championship. He was set to play in the Hero World Championship earlier this month, but withdrew three days ahead of the start due to the plantar fasciitis.
Woods then played last week, at the latest edition of the Match, and he’s scheduled to this weekend. But both events allow for the use of carts.
“Yeah, I can hit golf balls,” Woods said at the Hero World Challenge, which his foundation also hosts. “It’s the walking that just hurts. So that’s just a — something that — when you’ve got plantar fasciitis, the only thing you can do is rest and try and stretch that out as best as possible, but it’s rest. How do you rest when you’re hosting a tournament? You know, it’s hard.
“So this will be a tough week. The Father-Son will be a very easy week, Charlie will just hit all the shots and I’ll just get the putts out of the hole, so pretty easy there. But other than that, in the match we’re playing in, we’re flying in carts.”
While there is a legion of superstar golfers at the Los Angeles Country Club this week, all eyes veered toward one person on the field. No, it wasn’t the legendary Tiger Woods but his son Charlie Woods.
Indeed, the 14-year-old’s image at the LACC was enough to get people talking. While it was a refreshing sight, it suggests discouraging news about his father.
Why Charlie Woods’ appearance spells bad news for Tiger Woods
Despite non-involvement in the US Open, Charlie Woods managed to grab the headlines after he was pictured attending the prestigious tournament. It was followed by clips of his beautiful drive at the Riviera Country Club near LACC, which left many gushing over the promising talent.
However, while a glimpse of Charlie put a smile on many faces, some were disappointed to see him alone. While the boy remains close to his father, the legendary golfer wasn’t anywhere near the course.
It means that Woods’ condition hasn’t got much better in the last few months. While accompanying his son to the US Open would have been a no-brainer, the 47-year-old’s absence hints at his persistent troubles.
But what got the fifteen-time major championship winner to miss some of the most prominent golf tournaments this year?
Tiger Woods’ injury struggles in 2023
The 82-time PGA Tour winner survived a treacherous car crash in February 2021, which left an ever-lasting wound on the golfer. He took months to recuperate from the grave injuries, but at the outset of the 2023 season, looked raring to go.
Closely picking tournaments to monitor his health, Woods participated in the year’s first major championship, the Masters Tournament. Back at the famed Augusta National, the former World No. 1 made it to the weekend yet again, albeit finishing off with a worrying limp.
The pain that followed left Woods with no other option but to withdraw from the tournament. He quickly chose to put an end to his troubles by undergoing fusion surgery on his ankle.
While a timeline wasn’t set before, it seems like Woods has been out for a long time. The golf icon has missed two of the four major championships during his time off the field. With only one major left to play this year, can Woods return to action and mesmerize the audience like he has done before for so many years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Tiger Woods is a golfing legend. The 47-year-old 15-time major winner’s career remains unmatched in the present day. However, the ace golfer could have someone compete and overtake his legendary status in the coming years. According to many, Tiger’s son Charlie could well be that someone to beat him.
Charlie Woods is a rising golf prodigy, who has displayed his impressive skills on multiple occasions. Most recently at the 2022 PNC Championship, the 13-year-old showcased glimpses of his immaculate potential. The golfer has also been shining in his junior circuit. But can he ever become as great as his father or even beat him? We asked Google AI Bard to answer this and it had a positive take on the query.
Tiger Woods is a golfing legend. The 47-year-old 15-time major winner’s career remains unmatched in the present day. However, the ace golfer could have someone compete and overtake his legendary status in the coming years. According to many, Tiger’s son Charlie could well be that someone to beat him.
Charlie Woods is a rising golf prodigy, who has displayed his impressive skills on multiple occasions. Most recently at the 2022 PNC Championship, the 13-year-old showcased glimpses of his immaculate potential. The golfer has also been shining in his junior circuit. But can he ever become as great as his father or even beat him? We asked Google AI Bard to answer this and it had a positive take on the query.
Google AI Bard’s answer to the aforementioned question was as follows:
“It is possible that Charlie Woods could become a greater golfer than his father, Tiger Woods. Charlie has shown a great deal of talent at a young age, and he has the benefit of learning from one of the greatest golfers of all time. However, there are no guarantees in golf, and Charlie will need to work hard and stay focused if he wants to achieve greatness.”
Bard AI went on to list “some of the factors” that could help Charlie Woods become a great golfer, like his father.
It said:
“Charlie has natural talent. He has shown a great deal of skill and potential at a young age. He has a smooth swing, and he is able to hit the ball long and straight. He has access to great coaching. Charlie is being coached by his father, Tiger Woods, who is one of the greatest golfers of all time. Tiger is able to provide Charlie with expert instruction and guidance. He has a strong work ethic.
“Charlie is a hard worker, and he is dedicated to improving his game. He is willing to put in the time and effort to become a great golfer.”
Interestingly, Bard also listed some factors that “could hinder” Charlie’s chances of becoming a better golfer than Tiger. The AI pointed out that the pressure of being Tiger Woods’ son was unavoidable. It also stated that Charlie would be compared to his father throughout his career, which could add further pressure on the player.
It is pertinent to note that Tiger hasn’t been on top of his game for a while now. The PGA Tour star has been consistently missing events due to injuries. Bard seems to have taken this as a lesson. The AI pointed out that injuries could be a major deterrent for Charlie in his quest for greatness.
In conclusion, Google AI Bard said that it is possible Charlie Woods will become a greater golfer than his father. But, it doesn’t give any guarantees for it as golf is a demanding sport.
Charlie Woods, legendary golfer Tiger Woods’ 14-year-old boy, is still competing in junior events. He will then compete at the amateur level before moving on to professional competitions. The teenager might turn pro in five to six years and then need to qualify for the PGA Tour to compete in the PGA Championship.
Charlie Woods will not be competing in any major professional events anytime soon. He could attend the event in eight to nine years, most likely in 2032-33.
Charlie Woods is a fantastic golfer. He had competed in front of cameras in the PNC Championship three times with his father Tiger Woods, finishing second once. The duo will very certainly play in the tournament again this year. It is traditionally held in December.
Tiger Woods, on the other hand, has been struggling with his game recently owing to injury. Following ankle surgery this month, he was officially ruled out of the 2023 PGA Championship.
The second major of the year is quickly approaching, but Tiger and Charlie Woods will not be on the course. The 15-time major champion will miss the event and will relax, therefore Charlie will not be there to support his father.
How to qualify for the PGA Championship?
The PGA Championship is designed specifically for top-level professional golfers, and there are certain criteria that must be met in order to compete in the tournament. This week at Oak Hills, 156 players have qualified for the 2023 event.
As of 2023, the following are the PGA Championship qualifying criteria:
#1 All the former winners of the tournament are invited
#2 US Open, The Masters, and The Open Championship winners
Winning a major event comes with numerous awards, one of which allows the player to compete in all major tournaments for five years and a lifetime exemption for the one in which they won.
All the last five years’ major event winners, including The Masters, The Open Championship, and The US Open, are eligible to compete in the 2023 PGA Championship.
#3 The Players Championship winners
Champions from the previous three years of The Players Championship earned invitations to the 2023 PGA Championship.
#4 OWGR
The top three OWGR international federation ranking players were invited to the PGA Championship.
#5 Senior PGA Champion
The current Senior PGA Champion has qualified for the major tournament.
#6 PGA Championship
Golfers who finished with 20 low scores at the previous year’s PGA Championship are invited to compete again this year. The competition will also feature the low 15 scorers and ties from the previous year.
The top 70 PGA Championship point leaders will compete at this week’s event. This is based on the official money collected by PGA Tour golfers since last year’s PGA Championship.
#7 Ryder Cuo team members
Members of both the European and American Ryder Cup teams who finished in the top 100 in the OWGR qualified for the PGA Championship
#8 PGA Tour winner
Since last year’s PGA Championship, any tournament winner (which was cosponsored by the PGA Tour) has earned an invitation.
#9 Additional players
Outside these categories, the PGA Tour of America reserves the right to invite golfers of their choice.
Charlie Woods continues to improve his golf game, especially with the help of superstar father Tiger Woods as a caddy.
The younger Woods shot a career-best 68 in the final round of the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship on Sunday, helping him tie for fourth place in the Boys 12-13 division, via Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek.
Charlie finished Sunday’s round with two birdies and an eagle on the back-nine after a slow start.
“Dad told me to stay patient. I just played steady golf,” Charlie said.
Charlie Woods turned heads playing alongside his father in the PNC Championship, displaying similar mannerisms to Tiger. The 14-year-old proved at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, that he has a promising career on his own.
Of course, it also helps to have a 15-time major champion on the bag to provide guidance.
MIAMI: Tiger Woods will play alongside his 14-year-old son Charlie this weekend at the PNC Championship even though the 15-time major winner said on Friday (Saturday in Manila) it could delay his injury recovery.
The 36-hole parent-child golf event will be played Saturday and Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida. It will be the third consecutive start for the Woods duo, 2021 runners-up.
“Any time I get a chance to spend time with my son, it’s always special,” Woods said. “The last couple years have been magical. We’re looking forward to it.”
Woods said playing the event might set back his recovery from the plantar fasciitis in his right foot that caused him to miss his Bahamas invitational earlier this month.
“I don’t really care about that,” Woods said. “I think being there alongside my son is far more important, and get to have a chance to have this experience with him is far better than my foot being a little creaky.”
Woods, who turns 47 on December 30, has played only nine competitive rounds this year as he recovered from severe leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash.
After finishing 47th at the Masters in his comeback event, Woods withdrew after three rounds at the PGA Championship with leg pain and missed the cut in July at the British Open at St. Andrews.
“I played more this year than I certainly thought at the beginning of the year,” Woods said. “But I got the chance to play in three major championships. That’s far, far more than what I had expected going into the year. So it has been a positive.”
Woods is uncertain of his 2023 plans but hopes for a return to the majors.
“If I didn’t have the plantar feeling like this, I’d have a better idea,” Woods said. “I’m supposed to be resting this thing and stretching and letting it heal. But I’m not doing that at the moment.”
Woods, whose 82 PGA Tour wins equals Sam Snead for the all-time record, played in a 12-hole exhibition match with carts last weekend but still struggles to walk 18 holes.
“This off season hasn’t really been an off season. I’ve kind of ramped things up,” Woods said. “But after this, come Monday, we shut it all down and take care of this foot so that I can ramp up properly.
“I can practice. I just can’t walk .. I can hit golf balls. I can do all that. I can hit shots around the green. I just can’t get from point A to point B.”
Charlie Woods tweaked his ankle Friday, giving him a limp to match that of his father, but the PNC allows players to use golf carts.
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.”
