Back in 2021, when the first episode of A Round With Tiger: Celebrity Playing Lessons was released, it featured an important question. After Jada Pinkett and Tiger Woods teed off, Pinkett asked if the 49-year-old trains Charlie Woods. To this, he replied, “No! He just watches me do it, and then he kind of does it,” while agreeing with Pinkett on his son being “a natural.” Sounds surprising, right? However, that doesn’t mean he’s stayed out of Charlie’s golf journey. The two have played side by side in the PNC Championship a total of 5 times. And as a legendary golfer and a competitive dad, he’s definitely thrown in some playful jabs. Maybe one of those offhand, teasing comments about not having a title yet stuck with Charlie, and we all saw how that came about.
The 16-year-old won his first American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) title on Wednesday. He secured a three-shot victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational, held at Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Florida, which was only his fifth AJGA tournament. He began the final round one shot behind the overnight leader, Luke Colton. Before this, his best result was a tie for 25th at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in March. It seems like something clicked this time, and maybe, just maybe, a few father-son arguments helped fuel the fire.
After the win, Charlie said in an interview, “Now I can say I have one, and Dad can’t say I don’t; that definitely helps in the argument between him and I. Just to say I’ve done it and I can, I’ve proved it to myself. It feels so good, especially since it was an invitational.”
This win is more than just a trophy for Charlie—it’s proof that he can succeed on his own terms. Being Tiger Woods’ son comes with immense pressure and expectations, but this victory shows Charlie is starting to define his own legacy. His win also caught the attention as he has now joined his dad on the list of AJGA event winners. This win proves that whatever approach Tiger took with Charlie has really paid off.
The unique bond behind Charlie’s big win…
Tiger believes his son needs to find his own swing and rhythm rather than simply copying his legendary style. Tiger’s own father, Earl Woods, was his coach and mentor. Earl both pushed Tiger to let him grow and nurtured his talent by exposing him to the game early and encouraging him to develop his own style at his own pace. However, he struck just the right balance where he instilled discipline into his son, but didn’t push him over the edge. But this came with its fair share of criticism, where the relationship was criticized for being overly intense and pressure-filled.
But Tiger Woods? Yeah, he didn’t want Charlie Woods “to fall into that trap.” Hence, the legend is determined to avoid repeating this pattern with Charlie, allowing him to find his unique style and passion for the greens. But that doesn’t mean that Charlie is devoid of any support or presence. Look at the 2024 U.S. Open, where Charlie even acted as Tiger’s swing coach, solid proof of the trust Tiger has in his son’s natural feel for the game. As Tiger himself put it, “I trust him with my swing and my game. He’s seen it more than anybody else in the world. He’s seen me hit more golf balls than anyone.”
Tiger Woods has created a nurturing environment where passion and patience mattered more than pressure. There was no pushy coaching, just steady support that let Charlie Woods find his own groove at his own pace.
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