WELLINGTON, Fla. — Under the sunny skies of Wellington Golf Club, Charlie Woods gave it his best shot but couldn't secure a spot through local qualifying for the U.S. Open. This marks the second consecutive year the young golfer, who carries the legacy of his father Tiger Woods, didn't advance past this stage.
The 16-year-old was part of a record-breaking 10,202 entrants aiming for the prestigious tournament. Improving on his previous score, Woods marked a 3-over 75 in the 18-hole local qualifier on Thursday. Despite his progress, he fell short by seven strokes to make it to the next level, the 36-hole final qualifier. Last year, Woods posted an 81 and faced similar disappointment.
Tiger Woods, a golfing legend with three U.S. Open victories among his 15 major titles, never had to compete at the local level during his early career. Thanks to his U.S. Junior Amateur triumphs, Tiger was exempt from this stage from 1992 through 1994. However, he didn't see success until his first U.S. Open appearance in 1995, having missed out in his initial qualifying attempts while still a high schooler.
This year's U.S. Open is slated for June 12-15 at Oakmont. Unfortunately, Tiger Woods will be absent from the lineup as he continues to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
