There is no doubt that Charlie Woods was born into a life filled with privilege. But there are two sides to being Tiger Woods’s son. While the superficial glory that is readily available to the naked eye is on one side of the coin, the other is nowhere near as glorious. From facing the wrath of being constantly compared to the greatness of his father to facing numerous security threats and getting the smallest of his mistakes overly critiqued, not everything comes easy for this budding golfer.
Surely, then, growing up in the shadow of his father does not seem as easy as the widespread assumption. Call it destiny or a coincidence, but the same happened at the AJGA’s Will Lowery Junior Championship this week, where he received a sponsor’s invite.
At just the age of 15, the news of Junior Woods’s performance already invites massive crowds to the greens, wherever he is spotted teeing up. What was tipped off at the pre-qualifier of the Cognizant Classic now seems to have turned into a vicious trend cycle from what is being witnessed at the AJGA’s ongoing event. So much so that the young star’s safety has become a growing concern.
Yes, you read that right. This is the main reason why Woods Jr. has been forced to arrange for a host of security personnel and armed police in case of any unexpected mishaps from overenthusiastic fans. In fact, it has also been reported that there are increased security measures in place in light of his first official appearance at the AJGA event, including stringent identity verification processes.
At the Cognizant Classic’s pre-qualifier, the young talent’s performance was impeded because of the unruly behavior exhibited by the fans. The crowd surrounded and pressurized the young golfer in more ways than one. Some fans were even seen walking alongside him, thereby distracting him in attempts to catch Charlie’s glimpse.
But who is the culprit for the same? Well, it’s probably the fame he has gotten from his 82-time PGA Tour winner father. Junior Woods is living a reality that would be a completely strange occurrence for any other amateur of a similar stature as him. So has it influenced his performance in some way?
Is Tiger Woods’s shadow casting a dark cloud over Charley Woods’s career?
The answer to this might invite different opinions, but in some ways, that is certainly the case. Unlike most of the other golfers, who could remain at peace and perform at the event, the heavy weight of expectations and the concerningly high level of scrutiny certainly played a key role in an unfortunate result on his part.
A similar saga seems to be forming at the Carolina Trace Country Club-Creek Course in Sanford. Junior Woods’s performance can be best described as inconsistent so far, and the public scrutiny pool is certainly not impressed.
He finished with a score of 21 over par and tied for 33rd on the leaderboard, making it a less-than-appreciable performance. His first round saw him card a 78, whereas he concluded his second round with a score of 81, and a third round of 78 quashed the expectations of many fans of the Woods family who were vastly interested. Has TW been helping his son in coping with the struggles that he continues to face on the greens?
Despite the fact that it is inadvertently the shadow of his father that has opened the window to the challenges being faced by Charlie, it is his father’s golden advice and constant support that makes it easier for him to cope with the challenges.
