Charlie Woods had his best opening round at a U.S. Junior Amateur on Monday, but work remains if he wants to make the match play cut.
Woods, the 17-year-old son of Tiger Woods, signed for 5-over 76 on Monday at Saucon Valley’s Old Course in the first round of stroke play. He got off to a slow start, making a bogey and following it with a triple and was 6 over after five holes, but Woods settled in nicely, playing arguably his best golf ever in the championship to finish his opening round. He played the final 13 holes in 1 under with two birdies and one bogey.
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Slow starts have been a theme for Woods in the U.S. Junior. In his debut two years ago, he fired an 82 to begin. Last year, he walked off the course after an 81 in the first round. Both second rounds were improvements, but those first days did too much damage for his chances at making match play.
Early on, Woods was following the blueprint he has established at the U.S. Junior with a slow start, but a birdie on the par-5 sixth hole helped right the ship. He also birdied the closing par-4 18th hole, placing him in the middle of the pack of golfers in the morning wave and giving himself an outside chance at advancing to match play Tuesday, when he’ll play the Saucon Valley Grace Course.
Charlie Woods plays his shot from a bunker on the sixth hole during the first round of stroke play of the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur at Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course) in Bethlehem, Pa. on Monday, July 20, 2026.
Woods will need to shoot an under-par round to make match play, but if he continues the form he showed over the final 13 holes on Monday, he has a good chance to do just that.
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Sohan Patel paces the field after the morning wave with a 5-under 66 on the Old Course.
Only the top 64 players make the cut for match play, which begins Wednesday at Saucon Valley’s Old Course.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Charlie Woods bounces back after slow start at 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur
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