Tiger Woods' son Charlie makes major charge by entering US Open qualifier

The son of Tiger Woods, Charlie, has edged another step closer to following in the footsteps of his famous father as he looks to earn his place at Pinehurst No. 2 by taking part in a local U.S. Open qualifier.

The 15-year-old's dad has triumphed on four occasions in the illustrious competition, and now Woods Junior is set to compete in the 18-hole qualifier in Florida for the right to compete. His date with destiny will come at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie on April 25, with the prospect set to tee off at 8:18am ET.

The task facing young Charlie - who is 15-time majors winner Tiger's only son - is sizable, with 84 hopefuls making up the qualifying field, only 36 will be able to advance to June's final qualifier. Charlie made headlines earlier this year when he attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, but it ended in disappointment.

It is just the fourth time that the prestigious event will take place at the iconic North Carolina course - a venue Charlie's father has never actually won at. It is unlikely the prospect of out-doing the lofty achievements of his legendary father will be on his mind at Port St. Lucie, though, as he attempts to make the grade in his own right.

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In excess of 10,000 entries for the US Open have been taken by the United States Golf Association this year, with this being the third time interest has swelled to these staggering numbers. In order to whittle things down, qualifying will take place across 109 local venues in 44 states, as well as in Canada in the next two months.

From there, the best hopefuls will descend on the 13 final qualifying sites for the chance at competing at the tournament proper, with these events taking place in late May and early June. Known within the golfing community as "Golf's Longest Day", those involved will have 36 holes to contend with as they make their final push for a tee slot.

As for youngster Charlie, it appears that there is no pressure on him from his father, with this likely a product of the famously intense approach Tiger's own father, Earl Woods, took in ensuring his son was primed to become an elite player. Speaking three years ago, Tiger said: "He is his own person. That’s one of the things that we made sure of, that Charlie is Charlie. I am proud of whatever direction he chooses."

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Tiger Woods and his son Charlie have a famously close relationship and have bonded on the golf course

Likewise, it appears that the 48-year-old prefers to simply bond with his son through golf as opposed to pushing him too intently. A source informed PEOPLE in 2020: "Tiger loves spending time with Charlie on the golf course, but he has a completely different vibe than Earl had while working with him.

"They're all smiles. Tiger is definitely teaching him the right techniques, but there's not the intensity that Earl had with him," the insider added. "It's a total bonding situation. Tiger can get goofy and funny with Charlie. It's not 'all work and no play' like Earl could sometimes get."

Tiger has spoken glowingly about the bonding experiences he has had with his boy on the golf course previously too, telling ESPN: "Any time I get a chance to spend time with my son, it's always special. And to do it in a competitive forum, the last couple of years have been magical, and to be able to do it again, we're looking forward to it."

Even caddying for Charlie back in September 2023 at the Last Chance Regional in Florida, it was clear that Woods Sr. was embracing taking a back-seat role on the course for once as he enjoyed spending time with his son. He admitted:"We just stay in our own little world. We take itone shot at a time."