While Charlie Woods will be eager to replicate his father’s success on the greens, another name is already etching his name in golf history. In 2023, 15-year-old Miles Russell, surpassed Tiger Woods to become the youngest golfer to win the American Junior Golf Association Boys Player of the Year. And now his debut performance at the Korn Ferry Tour is already garnering attention while leading to scrutinizing of Charlie Woods’ recent efforts by the fans.

Russell, a lefty, is the world’s top-ranked junior golfer from the US and once again showcased that the golfing world should consider him as one of the bright prospects of the game.

Miles Russell writes history

Miles Russell is currently participating in the LECOM Suncoast Classic of the Korn Ferry Tour. It is his debut in a PGA Tour sanction event on a sponsor exemption a few hours away from his hometown at the Lakewood National Golf Club. When Russell was asked about his current aim and what he expected out of the game, Miles Russell said, “I don’t know what to expect, but I’d love to make the cut and who knows, maybe have a good weekend and see where it puts me.”

Miles Russell, from the get-go, put forth a dominating performance on the greens, as he started on the back nine, was able to card a score of 31 and became among the early leaders. Russell went on to a total of 5 birdies, and he wrapped up the first round with a 3-under 68, tying for the 45th position.

Taking to his outstanding performances on the greens, Dan Rapaport, shared a post to appreciate the young star. Sharing the stats of his first round from the LECOM Suncoast Classic and another picture of him holding the AJGA’s trophy in his hands and highlighted his previous victory where Russell won the Junior PLAYERS last year at the age of 14, with an exceptional score of 9-under 207. Rapaport wrote, “World No. 1 junior Miles Russell is 15 years old. He’s also -4 through 9 in his Korn Ferry Tour debut. Won the junior Players last year at 14.”

Future golf superstars are created in the amateur rounds. The young players consistently push the limits of the game, earning incredible victories and low handicaps. Gordon Sargent and Charlie Woods are two of the names generating a lot of buzz in the golf world. Sargent, born in 2003, has been ruling the amateur circuit and was given a special invitation to the esteemed Masters in 2023 and performed wonderfully against the greatest players. In the US Open 2023, he was also the Low Amateur.

Gordon Sargent is currently the top men’s amateur golfer, and the title proves his skill to everyone. This American prodigy has an incredible +5.5 handicap. Put another way, Sargent needs to shoot an incredible 64 to break par on a typical par-70 course.

Although Sargent is at the top right now, Charlie Woods is not far behind. Charlie, only fifteen years old, is attracting attention already. It takes a minimum handicap of 2 or better to compete in a PGA Tour pre-qualifier. Charlie Woods easily beats this standard with a handicap index of +3. This, he also competed in the Cognizant Classic’s pre-qualifier but sadly could not succeed.

The younger Woods’s involvement in high-profile events such as the PNC Championship with his father has let him take the path that most amateurs have not had the chance to explore. Although he hasn’t yet achieved the great heights of Sargent’s handicap, Woods Jr. shows promise and talent. The two budding golfers have already made a name for themselves in the golf world, and are garnering praise from seasoned pros.

Pros talk about the amateurs’ game

Gordon Sargent, who is known for his incredible distance, hits the ball at an average of 185–190 mph, which translates to an average hit of well over 300 yards. His skills have shaken up the game, leaving veteran players like Max Homa in amazement at his power and skill. Homa said, “He hits it 95 miles. He was so far by us it’s crazy. He’s a phenomenal golfer. Really nice kid. He doesn’t look like he’s going at it that hard. I’ve heard so many good things about his game. It was probably even more impressive to see him in person.” 

Charlie Woods is also known for his ball-hitting skills. His clubhead speed, according to Notah Begay, Tiger Woods‘s close buddy and teammate from college, is between 115 and 120 mph. Begay further mentioned that Charlie and his driver can “cruise” at a ball speed in the mid-170s. “For his age, (that’s) quite a lot of ball speed,” Begay said.

Gordon Sargent’s handicap of +5.5 is just incredible, but Charlie Woods, who is only 15 years old, is too young to be overlooked. Based on their current ratings, Sargent has an advantage over Woods. But Woods seems to be a prodigy in his own right, wanting to continue his father’s legacy. The golf world will be watching the young golfers’ game intently as they go up the amateur ranks!

AUGUSTA, Ga. — As it turns out, even Tiger Woods needs swing advice sometimes.

On Masters Sunday, it also turns out there’s only one person worthy of giving it: His son Charlie.

Woods wandered out to the practice range at Augusta National on Sunday fresh off a career-low. He’d just carded the worst score of his major championship career on Masters Saturday, a 10-over 82 that was so out of sorts, it was hard for even Tiger to make sense of what went wrong.

“The fact that I was not hitting it very good or putting well,” he said, offering a round summary of the entirety of his game when asked about his weaknesses on Saturday. “Just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it. And I missed a lot of putts. Easy, makable putts. I missed a lot of them.”

But then he was there, wearing his familiar Sunday red (and Sun Day Red), and there was hope again that he might turn his Masters around. First, because it’s hard not to believe in Tiger when witnessing him stripe golf balls at the range. And second, because a familiar face wandered out closely behind him.

Charlie Woods, the 15-year-old chip-off-the-old-block, had arrived on the range on Sunday morning as moral support to his father … and with hopes of helping the 15-time major champ figure things out.

The two went through a lengthy warm-up together, with Charlie — clad in fresh Nike AF1s and an SDR-logo’d hat — offering tips on the state of his father’s game throughout. Billy Kratzert, who was working on the Masters featured group broadcast at the time, said that Charlie appeared to be encouraging his father to have the club “exit to the left,” keeping the arms from running off and allowing the body to keep rotating.

Charlie Woods got a feel for Augusta National Golf Club this weekend ahead of the final round of the 2024 Masters.

The Benjamin School freshman state champion was able to manage a getaway from his home of Jupiter to not only see dad, Tiger Woods, try at clinching a 16th Major title, but spend some time on the range with pops on Sunday morning.

Not as the student, but as the teacher.

Both donning Sun Day Red merch, Tiger opted to bring Charlie out ahead of his 100th round at Augusta National to serve as his “swing coach,” per Golf Magazine’s Dylan Dethier.

The elder Woods, 48, looked to be listening intently as his son stood back, club in hand, giving tips and tricks on what one could presume would be how to recover from Saturday’s blow-up. After starting the day 1 over and seven shots off the lead with a possible path to his sixth Green Jacket, Woods proceeded to shoot his worst-ever round at Augusta with an 82.

Fans continue to fawn over father-son duo

Instagram user Nate Moyer wrote, “Charlie will help get Tiger’s mind right.”

Another user, ‘Saruh_Connuh,’ called the choice to bring Charlie out an “authentic pivot from Saturday’s mishap into making Sunday a special new day. So much growth as a father is inspiring to see.”

In the months following a tough day of his own in February attempting to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, seeing dad’s resilience to come back and give it all for the fourth round likely offered some comfort, and invaluable lessons for a bright future.

Meanwhile, others in the comment section like PGA Tour commentator Joseph Kim were more quick to make jokes than insightful observations.

“Dad who is Neal Shipley?” Kim wrote. For inquiring minds, Shipley is a grad student at Ohio State and the only amateur to make the cut for the 2024 Masters.

He and his caddy, a good friend from Shipley’s high school days, could be seen laughing it up with Tiger along the fairways on Sunday, almost certainly picking up advice on a walk to remember.

Unfortunately for Tiger, it was another round to forget, shooting a 5-over 77, for a final score of 16 over and last in the field when he finished Sunday.

A number of commenters took note of the younger Woods’ physique.

Kyle Red Adams from Michigan called out the size of Charlie’s hands, or “mitts,” while user ‘L2THECI’ suggested the youngster is about to hit “that” growth spurt.

Another Instagram comment from Maryland high schooler John Reinhardt garnered hundreds of likes:

“Charlie ain’t a kid no mo.”

Making his AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) debut at the Will Lowery Junior Championship, Charlie Woods struggled at the event as the 15-year-old carded a 21-over-par tournament total and a tie for 32nd.

Playing on a a sponsor’s invite, reports claimed that security measures had been stepped up after Woods’ appearance at a pre-qualifier for the Cognizant Classic, an event where he shot an 86 with reports further claiming that there was crowd trouble as eager fans flocked to try and follow the teen’s effort.

Earlier in the week, his dad and 15-time Major winner, Tiger Woods, was spotted at the tournament in North Carolina, with Tiger present and “very engaged” in talks with Saudi Public Investment Fund boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas just a few days prior.

Returning to the event and, in the first round, Charlie carded a 78 that included three birdies, five bogeys and two double-bogeys. Finding himself in the middle of the pack, an 81 followed in the second round, with one birdie, eight bogeys and a double bogey putting him well down the leaderboard.

A third round of 78 followed and concluded his tournament, as the 15-year-old finished in a tie for 32nd in the 51-player field, with winner, Patmom Malcom, comfortably claiming the title by eight strokes following rounds of 69, 70 and 70 for a seven-under-par total.

Despite the result, Charlie is still early in his junior career and, it’s worth noting that, in 2022, he cruised to victory by eight shots at the Major Championship at Village Golf Course.

What’s more, he shot a 66 in the Last Chance Regional to close out another win and qualify for the aforementioned 2023 Notah Begay III Boys’ Jr Golf National Championship where he finished T17 in the Boys 14-15 Division.

Tiger Woods may be a 15-time major champion – but his proudest achievement is becoming a dad to two incredible kids.

The golf pro shares daughter Sam, 16, and son Charlie, 15, with his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, and while they couldn’t make their relationship work, they appear to be mastering co-parenting.

Tiger previously revealed he and Elin now have a “fantastic” relationship, which helps them successfully raise their children, despite being apart.

“She is one of my best friends. We’re able to pick up the phone and talk to each other all the time,” he told Time, adding that Sam and Charlie know “they have two loving parents that love you no matter what”.

As for being a dad, Tiger said in 2011 that it is his most rewarding role: “I just love being with them and seeing what they’re doing, what they’re capable of doing – the joys, just the shifts of interest. It’s just fun. We have a great time together.”

Tiger and Elin welcomed their daughter, now 16, on June 18, 2007, and her dad wasted no time putting a golf club in her hands – although, at only a few weeks old “she couldn’t quite hold it”.

The couple named Sam after Tiger’s father’s nickname for him growing up. “We wanted to have a name that would be meaningful to either side of the family, my side or Elin’s side,” he explained during a press conference for the AT&T National in 2007.

“Because she was born [the day after] Father’s Day. It just happened to fit. My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born. He rarely ever called me Tiger.”

He added: “I would ask him, ‘Why don’t you ever call me Tiger?’ He says, ‘Well, you look more like a Sam.'”

In 2021, Tiger discussed his close-knit relationship with his daughter during the mini-series, A Round with Tiger: Celebrity Lessons. 

Appearing alongside Jada Pinkett Smith, he was asked what Sam has taught him, to which he jokily replied: “I don’t like boys,” before adding that she “has taught me how to be more patient”.