Charlie Woods absolutely went out there on Friday and put himself right in the mix at the Junior Players Championship, firing off a 1-under 71 in the first round. The Benjamin School senior walked off TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, tied for eighth place, only three shots back of the leader, Esteban Llorente from Colombia. That’s a solid start for anyone, and it’s got folks buzzing, especially after what went down on the famous Island Green.
Mixing It Up on the Sawgrass
Woods showed a real mix of skill and grit through his opening round. He finished his front nine (the course’s back nine) with a 35, then closed out the back nine with a 36, totaling that crucial 71. It wasn’t a flawless scorecard, sure. He picked up bogeys on the 11th, 14th, 2nd, and 5th holes. But Woods clearly wasn’t letting that get to him, balancing those out with some sweet birdies. He landed five birdies throughout the round, snagging them on the 15th, 16th, 18th, 3rd, and 9th holes. That kind of back-and-forth shows he’s got the game to recover and stay competitive. Being just three shots back is a fantastic spot to be in as the tournament moves forward.
Island Green Magic: How He Avoided Disaster
If you caught any of the action, you know the real drama unfolded on TPC Sawgrass’ iconic Hole No. 17, the dreaded “Island Green.” Woods stepped up for a 134-yard tee shot, no wind to speak of, with a tough back-right hole placement. He pulled his wedge just a bit, and for a few heart-stopping seconds, it looked like that ball was destined for a watery grave. Fans on the bank behind the hole were quick to signal a baseball umpire’s “safe,” letting everyone know the ball was dry! It had landed on the footpath players use to enter the green and rolled about 30 feet down. He found himself with a stance on short grass, but the ball was super tight to the pin, leaving almost no room to work. What happened next? Pure class. Woods chipped the ball barely onto the putting surface, it checked up, and rolled to a mere 4 feet. He sank that putt for par like it was nothing. Talk about making a moment count!
Woods is set to tee off at No. 1 at 10 a.m. in the second round on September 5th. With the final round slated for September 6th, he’s got two more days to climb that leaderboard and chase down Llorente. Can he build on that momentum and push even further into contention? You bet we’ll be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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