Charlie Woods fell short in his attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open on Thursday.
Woods, the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods, shot a 9-over 81 in the first stage of qualifying for the major championship at a local qualifying event at the Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Woods had four bogeys and three double bogeys in his round, and had just a single birdie.
He needed to finish inside the top five to advance into the final qualifier. The leaders after the early wave were sitting at 3-under, well ahead of Woods.
U.S. Open qualifying is incredibly tough each year, and it leads up to “Golf’s Longest Day” where 36-hole, single-day tournaments across the country determine the final qualifiers ahead of the major championship. Thursday’s qualifier that Woods participated in was one of 109 tournaments held across the country.
Last year, according to The Washington Post, only 64 of the 878 golfers who made it to the final qualifier actually earned a spot in the U.S. Open.
Woods attempted to qualify for a PGA Tour tournament earlier this year, though he posted a 16-over for the Cognizant Classic and did not make it in. A group of fans harassed him repeatedly throughout that event, too. Woods has played alongside his father in the last several PNC Championships — which is the annual parent-child event held by the Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. He also helped lead his high school to a state championship in Florida last year.
Tiger just finished competing at the Masters earlier this month, where he finished at 16-over par for what was his worst 72-hole score in his professional career. He did make the cut for a 24th straight time at Augusta National, however, which set the all-time record. Tiger will now turn his attention to the PGA Championship next month at Valhalla Country Club.
Tiger, who has won the U.S. Open three times in his career, does not technically have an exemption into this year’s tournament at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, though he is sure to receive a special exemption.
