Charlie Woods, the 17-year-old son of Tiger Woods, just committed to playing college golf at Florida State, a top program in the country. To knowledgeable observers, it’s clear he got there because he is one of the most promising developing golfers of his recruiting class — last name aside.
Wednesday, Woods announced his verbal commitment to the ACC golf powerhouse, where he’ll play under coach Trey Jones and likely land a massive name, image and likeness deal. NCAA regulations bar Jones and Florida State from commenting publicly on athletes until they are signed, which will happen in November for Woods, a high school junior. But the consensus on Woods’ recruiting profile, according to several industry sources speaking on the condition of anonymity so they could speak freely, is that the high schooler has immense potential at the college level, and his spot on the Florida State roster is well-earned.
“The fact that it wasn’t just Florida State that was recruiting him. All of these other top schools, they’re not doing it just to get Tiger there,” said one college golf scout who recruits elite players to a PGA Tour-level agency. “They all have famous alumni. They’re looking at Charlie because, fundamentally, he does a lot of things very well.”
Rumors circulated from the start of Woods’ recruiting process that he might follow in his father’s and older sister Sam’s footsteps at Stanford. According to one Division I coach, however, Woods indicated early on that he wanted to stay closer to his Jupiter, Fla., home, and schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida and SMU were in the running. In December, the relationship between Woods and Florida State became apparent when Jones was photographed watching him compete in the Class 1A high school state championship in Florida.
Woods, when contacted through his father’s representation, did not respond for comment.
Charlie Woods, center, is used to the attention, thanks to his father, Tiger. (David Cannon / Getty Images)
The Seminoles are a premier NCAA golf program. FSU is also home to the No. 1 junior in the world, Miles Russell, who has verbally committed for the Class of 2027. The team finished as runner-up at the 2024 NCAA championships. Jones ushered the likes of Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger through his program and watched as they achieved success on the pro stage. Luke Clanton, the former No. 1 amateur in the world, also recently transitioned from collegiate golf at FSU to the PGA Tour. The team practices at the esteemed Seminole Legacy Golf Club, and the program is widely considered to have some of the best facilities in college golf.
“You’re going to Florida State, and you’re getting prepped to be a professional golfer. There’s no two ways around it; that’s how that program is built,” said one top-level junior and PGA Tour swing coach, who has ties to FSU.
To land at a program like Jones’ is no small feat. And at this point one year ago, Woods would not necessarily have had a qualifying competitive resume to deserve a roster spot. But he leveled up his game in a short time, as evidenced by his tournament scores and results over the last 10 months.
From a scouting standpoint, one of Woods’ greatest assets is his athleticism. Length off the tee is a requirement to compete at this level, and it can often determine a player’s competitive ceiling. But taking advantage of that distance is far more important in the grand scheme of things. Woods’ increased consistency in tournaments showed coaches that he turned a corner with his scoring clubs — his wedges and putter, specifically — and he can continue refining that part of his game.
“Technically, he’s a lot further advanced than a lot of juniors are, and I think that is partially because he’s gotten a lot of really good instruction, but also because he really works in the gym,” the college scout said. “He’s ahead of the curve.”
Things changed for Woods when he won the Team TaylorMade Invitational in May 2025, shooting 15 under par over three rounds at Streamsong Resort. It was his first invitational event on the American Junior Golf Association circuit, which is essentially the PGA Tour of junior golf. Winning the event brought Woods from No. 604 on the AJGA rankings to inside the top 20 and gave him exemptions into future top events.
Since then, Woods posted a top 10 at the Junior PGA Championship and strung together two more top-20s in AJGA invitationals. He also qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur last summer by winning a sudden-death playoff, but he did not make it to match play at the championship. Woods is now ranked No. 9 in his recruiting class.
“Just being able to say to myself that I have won an absolutely amazing event and say that I have performed under high-pressure situations is huge going forward. I haven’t been able to say that I have done that, and now that I can, it is a big thing for my mental game,” Woods said after winning the Team TaylorMade event.
Tiger and Charlie Woods nearly won the 2024 PNC Championship. (Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
Coaches and scouts viewed the win similarly. It signaled that Woods doesn’t just have speed, sound mechanics and a few low rounds in him. He can string together three consecutive scores and outplay the best in the country. Woods beat Russell, his future teammate, by six shots at Streamsong. It wasn’t taken for granted by coaches that Woods plays with increased scrutiny and pressure as the son of the 15-time major champion who makes headlines no matter what he does. He and his father have participated multiple times in the PNC Championship.
“It’s a cruel world where a 12-year-old can go out and shoot 80, and his scorecard might end up on social media,” the junior coach said. “It shows the mental toughness he has. To be able to go out and fail, continuously work on his game, and now to compete against the best players in junior golf and put up big-time results — obviously, that triggered coaches to start recruiting him.”
Being Tiger Woods’ son does have its advantages. Woods regularly joins his father in practice rounds at Medalist Golf Club, their home course in Jupiter, playing with Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and other PGA Tour pros, constantly picking their brains.
“It’s fun to be a part of the process with Charlie and go through it and see … the opportunities that he has created for himself by playing better,” Tiger Woods said in December at the Hero World Challenge.
Having Tiger Woods as an insider involved in any college golf program will also undoubtedly have its benefits, from recruiting allure to access to resources. But Charlie Woods was targeted by multiple top-level programs because his demonstrated abilities were worthy of such a pursuit. And his potential to grow into an even more competitive player was an enticing element for interested coaches, too.
“He’s hungry. He grinds. He puts in the work,” the coach said. “I think the sky’s the limit for his potential.”