Tiger Woods wore a path to the mailbox when he was on the verge of entering college, curious to find out which programs took the time to sketch out their plans for his future.
These days, Class of 2027 recruit Charlie Woods is hearing from plenty of college coaches, too.
“It’s been very different, the recruiting process. Now you have cell phones,” Tiger said. “We didn’t have cell phones. We would have written letters that would show up in the mailbox. ‘Oh, my God, I got a letter.’ It’s just very different how fast coaches can communicate with the family members and the player that they’re trying to recruit. It’s just a different world. Not saying it’s good or bad. It’s just different.”
Letters or not, interest in the young Woods is certifiable after a standout summer on the junior golf circuit.
Charlie Woods is ranked 13th in the American Junior Golf Association, where he draws a crowd for his developing game and is recognizable in part because of his game and gallery.
Last month, Florida State golf coach Trey Jones spent time walking the course with Tiger as Charlie Woods shot a team-best 68 and helped his team claim the 1A state title. Charlie Woods attends The Benjamin School, a private school in Palm Beach, Fla.
Most of the top-ranked juniors — including the entire top 10 in the AJGA rankings — have committed to play with coveted college programs. That includes No. 1 Miles Russell, who signed with Florida State.
Tiger Woods played at Stanford, won his first collegiate event and was an All-American from 1996-98 before turning pro. His daughter, Sam, was a member of Benjamin School’s state-title soccer team before enrolling at Stanford.
The father-son duo is not entering the PNC Championship this month because Tiger Woods is still rehabbing to rebuild strength following his seventh back surgery Oct. 10. Tiger Woods said entering the event would not be fair because of his physical limitations restricting him to only chipping and putting.
