The son of veteran Tiger Woods, Charlie Woods, is poised to take his first steps towards qualifying for a PGA Tour event as he gears up to compete in one of four pre-qualifiers with the aim of securing a spot in the prestigious Cognizant Classic.

The journey begins on Thursday, where Woods Jr. will face stiff competition in the 18-hole pre-qualifier at Lost Lake Golf Club. Grouped with the likes of Ireland’s Ruaidhri McGee and American Olin Browne Jr., he will need to bring his A-game to advance to the final qualifier at Tesoro Club’s Palmer Course.

If successful, Woods Jr. will have the opportunity to join former world number one Rory McIlroy in vying for a share of the impressive £7.1 million prize fund at PGA National in Florida. His participation marks a significant milestone in his burgeoning golf career, following in the footsteps of his legendary father.

Despite his young age, Woods Jr. has already garnered attention on the golfing circuit, having competed in the PNC Championship exhibition event alongside Tiger Woods for the past four years. His talent and potential are evident, with Tiger himself serving as his caddie during the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship, where he secured a commendable tied 17th finish in the boys’ 14-15 division.

If he qualifies now, Charlie would have accomplished something earlier than his father, who competed in his first PGA Tour event at age 16, although he won his first PGA title at age 20. For a lot of people, this is the first time they would see Charlie play alone and not as a duo with his dad, so this would present a chance for people to accurately judge the younger Woods’ skills and see if he is ready to carry on the Woods legacy. 

Leon Osamor