Charlie Woods, son of golfing legend Tiger Woods, failed to secure a spot in the US Open after struggling in the first round of qualifying and failing to make the grade.
The 15 year old carded an eight-over-par 81 at The Legacy Golf and Tennis Club in Florida on Thursday.
The young golfer, who is following in the footsteps of his father – an 82-time PGA Tour winner – started off with a bogey at the first hole, followed by a double bogey at the par-five second. He managed to steady his game with back-to-back pars, before making his first and only birdie of the day at the par-three fifth.
However, his success was short-lived as he made another double bogey just one hole later. After turning in 40, Charlie’s struggles continued with a second consecutive double bogey on the 10th, followed by bogeys at the 13th and 14th holes.
He then made a third bogey in four holes at the 16th, before signing off with an 81. It was not the youngster’s first attempt at breaking into professional golf; he previously tried to qualify for the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in February this year.
However, it was a disappointing day for Woods who scored a 16-over-par 86 in his first PGA Tour Monday Qualifier of his career. The 15 year old was among the 10,000 golfers vying for a spot at Pinehurst later this summer for the year’s third major championship.
Another golfer taking the qualifying route is former champion Graeme McDowell. The 2010 champion’s 10-year exemption to compete in the US Open ended in 2020, and due to his recent drop in the Official World Golf Ranking, the Northern Irishman now has to enter pre-event qualifiers.
McDowell attempted this in 2023, narrowly missing out on a spot at Los Angeles Country Club via a playoff last May. One year on, the LIV star plans to do the same this time around, as well as attempting the same for the Open Championship in July/.
