Charlie Woods Playing in U.S. Open Local Qualifier in Florida

Tiger Woods's son will play 18 holes Thursday in an attempt to advance to 36-hole final qualifying.
Dec 17, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA;  Tiger Woods watches as his son Charlie Woods (right) putt
Dec 17, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Tiger Woods watches as his son Charlie Woods (right) putt / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Charlie Woods, the son of three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods, will attempt the first stage of qualifying for this year’s tournament at Pinehurst No. 2 when he competes in an 18-hole local event on Thursday in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Woods, 15, who unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic in February in an 18-hole pre-qualifying round, has an 8:18 a.m. ET tee time at the Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.

Charlie Woods plays his shot from the first tee during the 2023 PNC Championship
Charlie Woods, 15, will tee it up in a local U.S. Open qualifier. / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The field consists of 84 players with five expected to advance to 36-hole qualifying in June.

From there, approximately 90 to 100 players—based on those who are already exempt into the field for the tournament—will advance to the 124th Open, to be played for the fourth time at famed Pinehurst No. 2.

Past major champions, those who are among the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking and the top 30 from last year’s PGA Tour FedEx Cup standings are among the players who are exempt.

The United States Golf Association said it accepted more than 10,000 entries for this year’s championship, the third time it has surpassed the 10,000 barrier. There are local sites in 44 states and Canada that are conducting 18-hole qualifiers through May 20.

From there, those who advance will go to one of 10 U.S sites—there are also three international sites—for the 36-hole final qualifying.

Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open in 2000, 2002 and 2008—after also winning three U.S. Juniors and three U.S. Amateurs. The 15-time major champion has not competed in the U.S. Open since missing the cut in 2020 at Winged Foot.

He is also not exempt for this year’s U.S. Open as his five-year exemption for winning the 2019 Masters expired last year, but is in line to receive a special exemption from the USGA in the coming weeks.


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Bob Harig
BOB HARIG

Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods" and "Tiger and Phil: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry." He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.