Charlie Woods fails in U.S. Junior Amateur playoff after camera click interrupts backswing - Yahoo Sports

What the report says

Yahoo Sports reported that Charlie Woods, the 17-year-old son of Tiger Woods, was eliminated from the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur after a sudden-death playoff at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. Woods was competing for one of the last places in the round-of-64 match-play bracket after completing stroke play with rounds of 76 and 70.

According to the report, Woods was part of a 14-player playoff for two remaining match-play spots. On the par-5 first hole, two players in front of him had already gone under par, meaning Woods needed a birdie to keep his hopes alive. His second shot finished short and left of the green, leaving him a pitch from rough roughly 25 yards away.

Yahoo said the key interruption came as Woods began that third-shot swing, when a camera click was heard during his backswing. The shot did not come off as intended, and Woods reacted toward the source of the noise. He then needed to hole his next shot for birdie, but did not, and later missed a putt to save par. His bogey ended his tournament.

The result still marked Woods’ strongest showing so far at the U.S. Junior Amateur. Yahoo noted that he had posted higher scores in his previous appearances in 2024 and 2025. His father won the same championship three consecutive times from 1991 through 1993. Woods, a Florida State commit, remains age-eligible for one more U.S. Junior Amateur appearance in 2027.