Charlie Woods Struggles in Front of Big Crowds at His First U.S. Junior Amateur

Charlie Woods, the son of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, competed in his first U.S. Junior Amateur championship on Monday at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mic.. The 15-year-old struggled a bit in his opening round, finishing with a 12-over 82 that left him in a tie for 236th in the 264-player field.
Woods, who had never played in a USGA championship before, played in front of big crowds on Monday, which included his dad, as parents aren't allowed to caddie in the event. He's currently the No. 763-ranked junior so his struggles weren't much of a surprise.
Here was the scene on the first hole, with Tiger watching alongside other spectators:
Charlie Woods had a couple hundred people watching him start the US junior amateur as his dad watched from a raised berm behind him pic.twitter.com/bh4VXIJhKI
— Larry Lage (@LarryLage) July 22, 2024
The crowds followed Woods on every hole:
It’s a spectacle at Oakland Hills. This is the crowd following Charlie Woods (and his dad) to every single hole. pic.twitter.com/dEQyKcFMB0
— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) July 22, 2024
Woods, who shot 40-42, will play his second round on the South Course at Oakland Hills at 1:48 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The top 64 players will advance to the match play portion of the event.

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.
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