At just 14 years old, Tiger Woods' son Charlie is already one-upping his dad by accomplishing one thing that the elder golf legend never could: winning a high school state championship.
With Tiger proudly spectating from the crowd, freshman Charlie Woods helped The Benjamin School boys golf team capture its fourth state championship in school history earlier this week. Charlie shot a 78 and 76 over the two-day tournament, finishing in a tie for 26th place overall. But it was sophomore Jake Valentine who clinched the title with a birdie putt on hole 17 that he followed with a par on the final hole.
Bucs are @FHSAA STATE CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/YMiyScs98T
— Benjamin School Athletics (@TBSAthletics1) November 15, 2023
Tiger, who's already been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, never won a state championship during his time at Western High School in Anaheim, California. But that's probably because he didn't have the chance to.
At that time, the governing body that oversees high school sports didn't conduct state golf tournaments. Instead, Tiger went on to become the youngest golfer at the time to win the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship in 1991, outplaying a field of older competitors when he was just 16 years old. He followed that feat by winning it again in 1992 and 1993, becoming the only golfer in tournament history to win it three times in a row.
Tiger Woods Inducted Into Golf Hall Of Fame
The induction of Woods, Tim Finchem, Susie Maxwell Berning and Marion Hollins brought the Hall of Fame to 164 members.
While there's no question that Charlie definitely has golf in his genes, he also has arguably the best coach in the world, and is quickly emerging into a star in the golf community. Since taking up the sport, Charlie and his dad have competed in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 PNC Championships, an annual tournament in which professional golfers team up with family members.
Then in September of this year, Tiger actually caddied for his son as Charlie went on to win the Notah Begay III Junior Golf Last Chance Regional tournament in Florida. In an interview, Charlie said it was "great" to have his father on his bag.
"We just stay in our own little world and we just take it one shot at a time and um ... he puts me in my place," Charlie joked.
And while it remains unclear what bigger plans the young prodigy may have for the future, one thing is clear, and it's that this won't be the last time golf fans hear the name Charlie Woods.
