This week, Charlie Woods was back at the PNC Championship, the event where he burst onto the scene three years ago. Over the two days, glimpses of his talent were on display, and it looked like the golf genes were well transferred to him from his father, Tiger Woods.

The question arises: can Charlie Woods make the PGA Tour in the future? As of now, it’s still a far-fetched thought, given that he’s just a 14-year-old who’s still in his growing-up phase. However, he indeed seems to have improved over the past few years. He appears taller, stronger and better than last year. On one par-4, a 321-yard hole, he drove it through the green.

In Tiger’s words, Charlie’s speed has gone up dramatically in just one year. However, he also credited the modern equipment for that change, along with his son’s growth.

This year was Junior Woods’ first full-fledged season in competitive junior golf. According to the Junior Golf Scoreboard, he was ranked No. 1,326 out of 10,616 juniors. He finished 86th among all players for the Class of 2027.

Charlie won two events in 16 appearances this year. His lowest round was 66 at the Notah Begay III Florida Regional qualifier triumph in September.

According to oddsmakers, the 14-year-old is at 1500 to 1 odds of winning a major before turning 22. For reference, Tiger won the 1997 Masters when he was 21 years, three months and 14 days old.

Given that Charlie Woods is the son of the world’s most famous golfer, he receives more attention, but his improvement is commendable considering that he started taking the game seriously only three years ago.

As per one of Golf Digest’s Top 50 Teachers in the US, people need to give the kid more time and stop comparing him with those who have been playing competitive golf for longer.

Charlie Woods is just 14 years old, but he has been in the national spotlight for virtually his entire life. That spotlight will only get brighter as long as Woods follows in his father’s footsteps and pursues a golf career.

The younger Woods has been playing golf since he was an infant, much like his father, and he’s old enough now that he is getting the opportunity to play alongside his father in notable events. Charlie and Tiger Woods first played at the PNC Championship in 2020, finishing as runners-up a year later, and they are teaming up again for the event this year.

For Tiger, the PNC Championship marks another step in his return to golf. He underwent ankle surgery after withdrawing from the Masters in April and didn’t play a competitive round again until an appearance at the Hero World Challenge two weeks ago. There’s no doubt the opportunity to play with his son helped motivate him during his rehab.

Here’s what you need to know about Charlie Woods’ golf prowess and where he ranks among his age group.

How good is Charlie Woods at golf?

Woods may not be the phenom his father was at such a young age, but he has a pretty impressive track record for a 14-year-old golfer.

On the Junior PGA South Florida Tour, Woods has finished in the top 20 in six of eight events this year. He is averaging a score of 76.67 as part of the Boys 13-18 Medalist Tour this year, which ranks 71st. Considering Woods is firmly on the younger end of the age group, that’s a fine mark at this point.

Here’s a closer look at Woods’ results in 2023, including two finishes right at the top of Hurricane Junior Golf Tour events.

It appears that Tiger Woods’s 14-year-old son Charlie has a potential apparel partnership in the works with Greyson Clothiers, the golf clothing company most notably worn by Justin Thomas.

Over the weekend, Woods and his son competed in their fourth consecutive PNC Championship. While the 15-major champion sported his iconic Nike swoosh-adorned scripting—including his signature Sunday red polo—the high school freshman seemed to be subtly sporting Greyson half-zips and shirts.

The brand’s wolf emblem appeared on the back of Charlie’s collar during the tournament’s final round. Team Woods competed alongside Thomas and his father Mike during Round 1, who were also decked out in Greyson. It’s well-documented that the Thomases and Woodses have a close off-course relationship.

Although the branding was already quite obvious, an unexpected individual seemed to reference a potential partnership between Charlie and Greyson in a social media post. Larry Fitzgerald, the former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver and avid golfer, re-shared a photo of the teen wearing Greyson on his Instagram story on Sunday evening.

“Welcome to the @greysonclothiers family, Charlie,” Fitzgerald wrote.

The NFL legend added a “#greysonpartner” hashtag, which denotes his own sponsorship with the golf brand. Fitzgerald’s team confirmed the meaning of the hashtag with Sports Illustrated.

Charlie is not listed as a Greyson ambassador on the brand’s website, but the company posted several photos of him wearing the apparel.

It is only natural that Charlie’s Greyson attire added fuel to the recent rumors that the elder Woods, 47, is nearing the end of his contract with Nike.

The possibility of the Nike split was first reported on the No Laying Up podcast. Many are speculating that the PNC Championship could have been Woods’s last event with the sportswear giant. But when reporters asked the five-time Masters champion about his sponsorship at the PNC, he made it clear that it wasn’t something he wanted to discuss.

“I’m still wearing their product,” Woods said in response to a question about the “chatter” surrounding his decades-long Nike deal.

When asked a follow up question, Woods again fired back: “I’m still wearing their product.”

The state of Woods’s contract with Nike has been a hot topic in recent years, ever since he arrived at the 2022 Masters wearing FootJoy golf shoes for the first time in his career. Woods went on the record saying that the shoes offered the best support for his recovering right ankle, which he badly injured in a 2021 car crash.

“Just with the rods and plates and screws that are in my leg, I needed something different, something that allowed me to be more stable,” Woods said at the time.

Nike came out in support of the health-related decision.

“As he continues his return, we will work with him to meet his new needs,” the company wrote.

It is unclear whether Woods will indeed split from Nike, but there is no question that Charlie’s Greyson apparel is an intriguing development.

Right now, Charlie Woods is having the time of his life. His exceptional performance in the past few months at the high school state golf championship and the Notah Begay III golf championship was a marvelous display of his skills. One thing that topped the young star’s experience was having his father by his side as his mentor, guide, and caddie. Tiger Woods, the golf legend, is hugely invested in shaping Charlie’s career.

And it is not just Woods, but the entire golf fandom who wants to see the young prodigy take the reigns of his father’s glory and take it upwards and onwards. But when would he be able to do so?

When can Charlie Woods turn professional?

It is the dream of every amateur golfer to one day turn into a professional golfer and lead a successful career. Tiger Woods himself made his professional debut at the age of 20. At the time, Woods was pursuing his bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Stanford University. But after two years of education, he chose golf over his studies.

So in 1996, Woods dropped out of college to focus full-time on his career. And though Woods has enjoyed an unmatched career, dropping out of college is one of his biggest regrets. And chances are high that Woods will make sure that his son gets a degree before turning pro. What Charlie needs to do to reach his goal of becoming a pro is enroll himself in the PGA Tour’s Q School.

The Q school has four stages: the pre-qualifying stage, the first stage, the second stage, and the final stage. After he successfully manages to clear all rounds of the qualifying school and ends up in the top five, he could earn a card for the PGA Tour. He could also earn his PGA Tour card by playing on the Korn Ferry Tour and scoring one of the 30 cards given to the top finishers. But for that as well, he needs to qualify for the Q School. He could also win a PGA Tour event to get the Tour’s membership card. Woods Jr. could also earn a sponsor’s exemption and win enough points for the card.

The fans could see this happening in the next 6–7 years. It means that Junior Woods could be predicted to turn pro by the age of 20 or 21 after he gets a degree and earns his PGA Tour card. Tiger is the driving force in Charlie’s career. It is only natural that Woods would like his son to keep his options open and not have the same regret as he does.

The five-time Masters champ would not want his son to share the same regrets

Once reflecting upon his regrets in life Woods said in an interview, “The only regret I have in my life is not spending another year at Stanford. I wish I would have done one more year.”  He continued, “All the things I’ve been through are tough. Yes, they have been tough. But they have been great for me. But I wish I had gone one more year at Stanford.” Woods enrolled at Stanford in 1994, and by 1996, he had won three consecutive US amateur titles and the collegiate title.

After that, he left college and went on to become one of the biggest names in golf. Stanford is the go-to university for big names in the golf world. Like his father, Charlie too could enroll himself there to opt for higher studies. He could choose to turn pro while studying like his father or maybe after he is done studying!