Charlie Woods Recovers From Poor Start In First Round Of US Junior Amateur

Charlie Woods observes a shot — Charlie Woods carded a 76 in the opening round

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Charlie Woods is hoping it is a case of third time lucky at the US Junior Amateur.

For the last two years, the son of 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods has missed the cut at the event.

However, he booked his place at the prestigious tournament for the third straight time in June when he came through a 2-for-1 playoff in a qualifier at Heathrow Country Club in Florida.

The US Junior Amateur is being held this week at Saucon Valley's Old Course in Pennsylvania, and in the first round, the 17-year-old carded a five-over 76.

Woods, who has verbally committed to Florida State University for 2027, started poorly at the event, making a bogey on his first hole, and it got considerably worse for him at the par-4 second, when he made a costly triple-bogey.

Further setbacks followed at the fourth and fifth with two more bogeys, before he gained a foothold with his first birdie of the day at the sixth.

That appeared to settle the youngster down, as he made five consecutive pars before another bogey at the 12th. More pars followed, with Woods finishing on a high with another birdie at the par-4 18th.

Charlie Woods at the US Junior Amateur — Charlie Woods is making his third appearance at the US Junior Amateur

Woods, who has verbally committed to Florida State for 2027, is 10 back of leader Sohan Patel after 18 holes in a tie for 121st, and he will be hoping for a better day on Tuesday for the chance to reach the match play stage of the tournament for the first time.

To do so, he will need to haul his way into the top 64 at Saucon Valley's Grace Course on Tuesday, or if there is a tie for 64th, via a playoff.

Currently, he is just three shots back of where he would need to be to get there, giving him a realistic chance with a better round on Tuesday.

If Woods is seeking inspiration, he need only look to last year’s tournament. Back then, he fared even worse in the opening round, shooting an 81 at Trinity Forest, before a vast improvement the following day with a 74.

The defending champion is Hamilton Coleman, who begins the second round one shot behind Woods on six over.

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.