Following in your father’s footsteps can’t be easy when the dad in question is 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods. However, his son Charlie is certainly making it look that way.

Woods Jr made headlines in December 2021 when he and Tiger hit 11 birdies in a row in their runner-up finish in the PNC Championship. Then, before accompanying his dad again for last year’s tournament, he shot a 68 in a qualifier for the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship in Florida.

The 14-year-old has continued making progress in 2023, too, and is currently ranked 16th in the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s boys 14-15 division – an improvement on his T48 in the 11-13 division in 2022 and T122 in the same division the year before that.

His performances in its tournaments have been consistently impressive this year, too, with Woods Jr finishing runner-up in his first two tournaments and tied for ninth in April’s PGA National Junior Open. Given those performances – and his mentor – it perhaps shouldn’t be surprising that he’s now bagged his first win on the Tour in 2023. However, the manner of it was especially impressive.

Woods didn’t just win last week’s Major Championship at Village Golf Course in Florida, he cruised to the title by an incredible eight shots over its 36 holes. Woods’ opening round 72 included four birdies and the following day, he performed even better, with five birdies in his round of 71 to finish far ahead of closest competitor Noah Manly.

One of the most eye-catching aspects of Woods’ performance, which was watched by Tiger, was his score over the par-5s. Tiger has previously admitted that his son can now outdrive him, and it looks as though he put that big-hitting ability to good use as, over the two rounds, Charlie finished five-under in the eight par-5s he played, with a bogey on his 36th and final hole the only blemish.

By that point, of course, Woods could afford to relax a little given the huge lead he had put together, although it’s unlikely his famous father would allow him to rest on his laurels.

Back in December, Tiger admitted to trying to toughen his son up with mind games, saying: “It’s non-stop, non-stop. It’s trying to get him – if I can get into his head, that means someone else can get into his head. It’s going to get to a point where I can’t get into his head, and then no one else can get in there either. That’s what my dad believed. You’ve got to be willing to take it.”

Considering the comfortable nature of his win, it seems as though Woods Sr is getting through to his son as his progression continues.

On that note, it doesn’t appear as though Charlie will have much to fear by the time he’s eligible for the boys 16-18 division, either. His remarkable performance at the weekend saw him finish nine shots better off than the winner in the more senior category, too.

Tiger and Charlie Woods enthralled golf fans with their play at the 2022 PNC Championship, but it was the snippets of father-son banter that made the weekend all the more entertaining.

Team Woods finished six shots behind champions Vijay and Qass Singh, shooting a stellar 13-under 59 on Saturday and a less impressive 7-under 65 on Sunday.

Tiger and Charlie’s play deserves to be marked with an asterisk, though, as they each battled through injuries all weekend. Charlie played on a rolled left ankle, while Tiger dealt with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, a condition which forced him to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge earlier in the month.

On Saturday in particular, Charlie struggled to make a normal swing, but Tiger came to the rescue with a handful of vintage moments. The 15-time major champion saved the day with a chip-in eagle, several long-range birdie putts, and clutch iron play.

When asked about what he learned from the experience, Charlie gave his honest thoughts on his father’s performance.

“I already knew what he was capable of,” Charlie said. “And then yesterday, that’s the best he’s ever played in a while. And that kind of shocked me a little bit. That’s really it.”

Tiger was visibly amused at his 13-year-old son’s response, and the audience got a kick out of it.

“Yeah, I used to be good,” Tiger said. “Again, it was neat to roll back the clock for him to see what I used to be capable of.”

It turns out that years of highlight footage might not have been enough to convince Charlie of his dad’s sheer greatness in the game. It was a few timely birdies in a family scramble tournament that did it for the 13-year-old.

Another witness of Tiger’s play on Saturday, however, needed no reminder of what the five-time Masters champion can do on the course when he needs to. Justin Thomas’s caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay, was on the bag for Phil Mickelson during Tiger’s prime.

“[If] anyone who knows what I used to be able to do, [it was] Bones. And so Bones got a big kick out of that yesterday,” Tiger added.

Team Woods may have fallen short of the PNC Championship title, but they won when it comes to priceless father-son moments.

Charlie Woods is hurting, too? Charlie Woods is hurting, too.

But you can exhale.

“You know these kids: They’ll be running by tomorrow,” Notah Begay said.

Indeed. That’s the good news. But the unfortunate update is that Charlie, the 13-year-old son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, may be slowed for this weekend’s PNC Championship, the event that pairs major winners with family members. A left leg limp from the younger Woods was noticeable during Friday’s pro-am, and on the Golf Channel broadcast, Begay, an analyst and Woods family friend, said it came after he rolled his ankle while hitting on the range.

After the round, Tiger was asked in a press conference if Charlie is feeling OK.

“He is,” Tiger said. “His ankle’s not exactly — well, it’s better than mine.”

He chuckled, then added, “We’ll be ready come game time tomorrow.”

Following Tiger’s presser, Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis reported that Woods said Charlie’s limp was the result of a “growth spurt.”

Whatever the cause of his discomfort, Charlie joins his father at less than 100 percent, though Tiger’s troubles are in the opposite leg. The elder Woods is battling plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and that injury came as an extension of multiple injuries to his right leg suffered during a car crash in early 2021.

“I know people at home are going: ‘You got to be kidding me. What’s going with Charlie? Does he have plantar fasciitis?’” announcer Dan Hicks said on the broadcast. “But apparently, Notah Begay, Charlie sprained his ankle while hitting golf balls on the range?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t call it a sprain,” Begay said. “He just kind of rolled it. I asked him, he’s like, ah, it’s just a little bit wobbly at this point.”

“We got limping Woods,” Hicks said. “That’s not what we signed up for here. Man, if they win this thing, it will be the most incredible win ever.”

Ahead of the pro-am, the PGA Tour’s Twitter account had filmed the younger Woods warming up, and the Twitter account @TWlegion noticed that his left leg was taped up. On the broadcast, he limped, but played on, and he and dad are scheduled to start their first round at just after noon ET on Saturday.

THEY say like father like son, but in the case of Charlie and Tiger Woods the resemblance on the course is uncanny.

The pair teamed up at the PNC Championship that pits parents and their offspring together for the second-year running.

It was supposed to be about Tiger’s return to the golf world, just 10 months after a horror car crash left him bed-ridden.

Instead, it was 12-year-old Charlie who stole the show – outshining his famous dad with an incredible display that wowed fans.

And even though they finished runners-up to John Daly and his son Little John, in Charlie it was clear a star was born.

GOLF PRODIGY

It was said last year that Charlie was a golf prodigy like his dad.

Of course, it’s in his blood given his father is who he is, while Tiger’s niece Cheyenne Woods is also a pro.

Last year, he won a nine-hole kids tournament, blowing the opposition away to win by five strokes.

A video went viral of Charlie’s swing at the event at the Hammock Creek Golf Club in Palm City, Florida, as he shot a blistering three-under 33 in the tournament, with three birdies and no bogeys on the scorecard.

His caddie for that occasion was none-other-than his old man.

Tiger told GolfTV of his son: “He’s starting to get into it, he’s starting to understand how to play.

“He’s asking me the right questions. I’ve kept it competitive with his par, so it’s been just an absolute blast to go out there and just, you know, be with him.

“It reminds me so much of me and my dad growing up.”

AN UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE

When Charlie burst onto the scene last year, one thing was for certain. He carried the same mannerisms as his dad.

From the club twirling to the same fist-pump, mini Tiger appeared a chip off the old block. Even their swing looks the same.

Tutelage from his father has helped, while Justin Thomas’s dad Mike has also provided some sage advice.

Although Charlie’s handicap is unknown, it is believed to be somewhere in the scratch mark.

Some betting companies are already reportedly taking bets on whether he could win a Major by the age of 22 – with odds at 1500-1.

Considering Tiger won the 1997 Masters at 21, that might just be worth a flutter.

A STAR TURN

This year has been a traumatic one for the Woods family.

Tiger may have survived a horrific car accident in Los Angeles back in February, but the future of his professional golf career is still uncertain.

He admitted he was lucky not to lose a limb in the crash, and it was evident he’s still recovering as he grimaced around the course of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.

But what was also evident was how Charlie’s game has improved since last year’s PNC Championship appearance.

Before the tournament, he enlisted the help of putting guru Brad Faxon to aid his game. A progression certainly showed.

The Woods’ set a tournament record with an astonishing 11 birdies in a row in the final round.

And not once did Charlie allow himself to be distracted by the cheers and the furore around him.

He remained focused and showed a tunnelled-vision demeanour reminiscent of his dad.

Some of the shots he pulled off – clutch putts, bomb drives, and laser approaches showed he has plenty of variety to his game already.

Charlie Woods has continued to impress this week. Amidst fears of a WD for Team Woods after he twisted his ankle on the range, he has found a way to compete despite physical ailments, much like his father.

He can be seen limping, another familiarity within Team Woods, and has allegedly worked out a way to swing despite the injury. Tiger didn’t raise a quitter. Charlie and Tiger both hobbled to an opening 59 in the PNC, despite trailing to the Daly’s and the Thomas team with a few holes to spare.

Charlie continues to grow, both physically and as a golfer. Despite the lower body limitations, this drive down the 5^th hole just now caught the attention of many a golf fan worldwide. Check out this recoil on the kid’s move!

Dressed in Sunday red, Team Woods is here for business. And Tiger looks so good on the course, it is a genuine catastrophe for the golfing world that this can’t be accessed on regular TV.

The sporting gods harmonized just now. As Charlie Woods just dropped an eagle to get within two of the lead, at the exact same time Lionel Messi bagged a goal in extra time at the World Cup Final. Keep an ear out for some more Sunday sporting drama at the PNC as Tiger looks to top off a miraculous 2022.

Tiger Woods has been in the spotlight for over 25 years, but his teenage son, Charlie, is showing signs of emerging from his shadow. The world really began to notice the youngster when he finished runner-up with his famous dad at the 2021 PNC Championship. Here are some of the little-known facts about the emerging talent.

1. Charlie Axel Woods was born on 8 February, 2009.

2. He is named after a player Tiger used to look up to – Charlie Sifford. During his speech after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, Tiger said of the former PGA Tour pro: “I always called him ‘Grandpa,’ because he was like the grandpa I never had. And I ended up becoming so close with him that I ended up naming my son, Charlie, after him.”

3. He has his own prototype irons – a set of custom-made TaylorMade P7CW irons. But how do they differ from a standard set? Mass has been removed from the toe and heel sections. The result is there’s reduced weight on the head.

4. He has an impressive career-low score. Tiger has gone on record to state that Charlie’s game is improving. During the 2022 Hero World Challenge, he said his game was “getting a lot better”. Evidence of that can be found in a round Charlie played just a couple of months beforehand, where he shot a 68 in a qualifier for the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship in Florida.

5. He goes to watch tennis with his dad. Away from golf, Tiger is an avid tennis fan, and has regularly been spotted catching a live match. It seems that passion has rubbed off on Charlie, too, who has accompanied his dad to tennis matches, including the 2019 US Open.

At Tiger and Charlie Woods’ first PNC Championship in 2020, the younger Woods had a career highlight, making his first eagle by himself in the first round.

Two years later, the elder Woods repaid the favor, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story of Team Woods’ fifth hole of the 2022 PNC Championship.

It started with Tiger roasting his tee shot on the nearly 560-yard par-5 at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club. His opening tee shot last week at The Match VII, which was clocked at 178 mph ball speed, was impressive, but he was clocked at 180 mph Saturday.

His ball speed was even faster than playing partner Justin Thomas, and also 20 yards by the reigning PGA champion, who is 17 years Woods’ junior.

Then Charlie walked, or rather limped, up to the tee. Charlie has a noticeable limp this week and Saturday looked potentially even worse than his father, who is dealing with a bout of plantar fasciitis. Charlie contributed to the team’s first birdie on the second hole, knocking his approach shot stiff and cleaning up the putt, but the pair was unable to birdie the par-5 3rd and Charlie looked uncomfortable after his tee shot on the par-3 4th. But perhaps it was the discomfort on the 5th tee that led to just another in the long list of mannerisms Charlie inherited from his father. Like we’ve seen Tiger do so many times over the years, Charlie started his downswing — and then somehow stopped and backed off the shot.

Tiger Woods‘ son Charlie Woods brought cool style to the green while competing in the 2022 PNC Championship this week.

On Monday, Charlie played golf alongside fellow United States teammates Tiger and Justin Thomas during the occasion at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. The 13-year-old’s golfing ensemble featured a red sweater and slim black trousers, creating a classically sharp statement.

Charlie also donned a black cap embroidered with “Peanuts” comics character Joe Cool — one of beagle character Snoopy’s alter egos, who debuted in 1971 — wearing sunglasses and channeling a relaxed, “cool” persona. The cap has been a longtime favorite piece for Charlie, who’s worn it throughout both past PNC Championships he competed in with Tiger in 2020 and 2021, as well.

When it came to footwear, Charlie laced into a set of classic leather loafers. His style featured black uppers and thin laces, complete with rubber soles that included light squared heels and almond-shaped toes.

Charlie has worn the hat on numerous occasions over the years while playing golf in past games with his father as well, making the moment a true full-circle experience. On past occasions, the hat was worn while he hit his 10th birdie in a row at the 2021 PNC Championship, as well as his near holing out on the par-4 16th at the 2020 PNC Championship — seemingly marking the hat as a lucky charm for the young athlete