SerpApi.Org
Charlie Woods' bid to reach match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur ended in frustrating fashion Wednesday morning, after a spectator's camera shutter clicked in the middle of his backswing during a crucial playoff hole at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The 17-year-old son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods had earned a spot in a 14-for-2 sudden-death playoff after shooting rounds of 76 and 70 across two days of stroke play, tying for 63rd in the 264-player field at 5 over par.
The top 64 golfers advanced directly to matchplay, setting up the early-morning playoff for the two remaining bracket spots.
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Woods teed off at 7:24 a.m. ET in the third of four playoff groups, going for the green in two on the par-5 first hole at Saucon Valley's Grace Course. His approach landed in thick rough left of the green, roughly 25 yards short.
As he attempted his third shot, a chip from the rough that needed to set up a birdie to advance, a loud camera click sounded in the middle of his backswing.
Woods chunked the attempt, leaving himself a lengthy birdie attempt from the fringe. Video of the moment, which quickly circulated on social media, captured Woods dropping his club and turning toward the gallery in visible frustration.
"Really dude?" Woods said, with another voice in the crowd remarking, "Right in his swing."
Woods was unable to convert the ensuing birdie putt from roughly 35 feet and made bogey on the hole, ending his tournament.
Only three of the 14 golfers in the playoff made birdie on that first hole to advance to a second playoff hole, where Eli Wessel of Indianapolis and Hudson Kutchma of Westfield, Indiana, ultimately claimed the final two match-play spots with pars on the par-3 fifth.
Despite the disappointing finish, Woods' overall week represented his strongest performance yet at the tournament in three career appearances.
He opened stroke play with a rocky start, going six over through his first five holes on Monday, including a triple bogey, before rallying to shoot one under over his final 13 holes. He followed that with an even-par 70 on Tuesday, highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 13th hole, to finish regulation at 5 over and force his way into the playoff.
That marked a significant improvement over his previous U.S. Junior Amateur showings, having shot 82-80 in his 2024 debut and 80-74 last year.
Woods, a rising high school senior committed to play collegiately at Florida State, will remain eligible for one more attempt at the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2027. His father won the same championship a record three consecutive times from 1991 to 1993, with the tournament's trophy named in his honor.
