Carving your career while holding a famous last name comes with added public scrutiny and fan pressure. And Tiger Woods‘ name in golf is as big as you can get. Naturally, his son, Charlie Woods, a high school junior, is at a career crossroads, with golfing demands and his famous lineage impacting his potential collegiate golfing stint.

With a promising career in golf, Charlie will follow in his father’s footsteps. While his sister, Sam Woods, chose academics over an athletic career in soccer, going to Tiger Woods’ alma mater, Stanford University, Charlie leaves no doubts as to whether he will continue golf. However, the tough decision is more about deciding which environment he wants to thrive in.

For Sam, that pivot away from golf wasn’t random. She’s already a state champion in both soccer and track at The Benjamin School, but she’s heading to Stanford primarily as a student, planning to study science rather than chase a professional sports career.

Tiger has openly said that Sam carries some negative memories of golf because it was the thing that kept him away from home so much when she was younger, which is why she gravitated toward soccer instead. In contrast, he’s fully embraced Charlie’s decision to run toward golf, often repeating that both kids are “carving their own paths” and that his job now is to support whatever passion they choose rather than push them into his shadow.

Sitting currently at 9th in the Rolex AJGA rankings, Charlie is primed to be one of the most in-demand recruits. Agreeing with this sentiment, college golf expert Brentley Romine expressed how Charlie was “absolutely on track to be a D1 recruit.” His T25 finish at the Junior Sage Valley Invitational backed that statement, upping his AJGA ranks by 235 spots to No. 603, standing as a testimony to his physical talents and golfing calibre.

In just 6 AJGA events, the 16-year-old has amassed ~280.291 points, rising to the top 10s. His first AJGA title came at the Team TaylorMade Invitational. The young prodigy had shot 15-under in three rounds to win by 3 shots against Luke Colton, Phillip Dunham, and Willie Gordon. More recently, he finished 2-under for the week and tied for fourth individually at the Junior Florida State Championship, capping a final-round 68 that helped The Benjamin School clinch its second FHSAA Class 1A state title in three years.

Just as notable as the trophies is the trajectory. As recently as mid-2024, Charlie sat in the 800s on one major junior ranking list, his résumé more about moments with Tiger at the PNC Championship than about solo dominance.

In barely 18 months, he’s gone from a feel-good storyline to a genuine top-10 junior, winning a premier AJGA invitational at Streamsong over a field that included World No. 1 junior Miles Russell and four of the top five boys in the rankings. A kind of late surge is exactly what excites college coaches. They see a player whose ceiling is still rising, rather than someone who may have already peaked at 15.

These position him as an attractive addition to collegiate teams. Now, the decision lies with Charlie Woods to decide which program he wants to go with. The golfer understands that this is a nuanced decision, taking into account factors like the uni’s athletic program, golf coaches and teams, and professional golfing opportunities. Allegedly, in his hunt for schools, Charlie and his mother, Elin Nordegren, were spotted at an LSU vs. Alabama game.

You must note that, as of now, it is just a rumor. However, one X user cited how the mother-son duo is on a visit to LSU, owing to its decorated history of PGA Tour pros and American Football titles. With the soccer beat, even Sam Woods would have appreciated LSU.

However, the 16-year-old is yet to confirm which school he has decided to kickstart his collegiate stint at. For the moment being, we can only speculate, and, in fact, LSU makes a strong case for the next generations of Woods’ legacy. But Charlie Woods is not alone, as the new wave of next-gen golfers is announcing their college plans.

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College plans for star junior golfers

One of the most accomplished golfers in the junior circuit, Miles Russell, has verbally committed to Florida State University for the fall of 2027. The 17-year-old is the top-ranked golfer in both the AJGA rankings and the Junior Golf rankings. The star recruit will bring numerous titles. That includes three AJGA invitationals, the 2023 Boys Junior PGA, and the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. He also secured last winter’s South Beach International Amateur, a top amateur event. Named AJGA Boys Player of the Year, Russell has already raked in multiple brand deals, owing to his increasing marketing worth in golf.

Besides Russell, the top-ranked girls’ junior, Asterisk Talley, has also made her college plans known. The Californian recruit announced her commitment to the No. 1 Cardinal, Stanford, for the Class of 2027. The teenage prodigy brings titles to her name, proving exactly what makes her a top choice for one of the best golf programs in America. Talley won the Girls Junior PGA. She has also secured multiple runner-up finishes in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, and U.S. Girls’ Junior in the past year. She is currently ranked No. 12 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Both Russell and Talley are also entering college golf at a time when NIL has completely changed the financial equation. Russell already carries an estimated NIL valuation in the high six figures thanks to his results and visibility, and Talley is backed by a growing portfolio of sponsors tied to her national-team status and major amateur performances. For a player like Charlie, whose last name alone guarantees TV shots and social buzz wherever he plays, the right campus choice could unlock an even bigger commercial upside than the typical top junior sees.

As it appears, the world’s best juniors are choosing a balanced approach to golf, as opposed to Blades Brown, who skipped college for his professional career. Charlie Woods will soon join this list as he selects his Class of 2027 program.