The 17-year-old closed with a 1-under 71 on the Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach on Sunday, 6 September, to finish at 1-under 215 for the three rounds. He ended up tied for eighth, seven shots behind winner JP Lynch of Austin, Texas, who closed with a 66 to win at 8-under.

It was Charlie Woods’ best result in a junior national event since winning the 2025 Team TaylorMade Invitational, and a jump from the tie for 31st he managed at the same tournament a year ago.

A saved round after a bumpy front nine

His final round wobbled early and settled late. He turned in four bogeys against three birdies on the front nine, then rolled in back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 to swing the day back. He almost holed his approach at the par-4 10th.

The putter went cold after that. He lipped out from birdie range at 13, 14 and 15 before hooking his tee shot into the trees at 16 and making par. At the island-green 17th, he laid up left of the pin and two-putted from about 25 feet. Every hole after 11 was a par.

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The three-round card, 71-73-71, was steadier than the raw numbers suggested. He carded 14 birdies and 13 bogeys across the event.

Florida State commitment and a TaylorMade NIL deal

The Junior Players is played on the same Stadium Course the PGA Tour pros tackle each March. Woods is now heading into his senior year at The Benjamin School and has committed to Florida State starting in the fall semester of 2027. He also announced an NIL deal with TaylorMade earlier in the week.

Lynch, the champion, edged Brady Barnum by a single stroke.

Tiger Woods pleads no contest in Florida

The tournament came days after Charlie Woods’ father settled his own legal case in Florida. Tiger Woods, 50, pleaded no contest on 2 September to a reduced charge of reckless driving, along with a refusal to submit to a lawful test, after prosecutors amended the original DUI charge.

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Woods’ driver’s licence was suspended for five years and he was fined $1,500.

The case stemmed from a single-vehicle crash in March 2026 on Jupiter Island, when Woods’ Land Rover rolled over after a collision with a truck carrying a trailer. Neither Woods nor the truck driver was injured. Two hydrocodone pills were found in his possession, and he refused a chemical test.

Charlie Woods returns to school competition at The Benjamin School after the TaylorMade signing, with his Florida State enrolment set for the 2027 fall semester.

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