Charlie Woods’ run at the U.S. Junior Amateur came to a frustrating end Wednesday after a spectator’s camera click disrupted a crucial playoff shot, costing the 17-year-old golfer a chance to advance to match play.
The son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods was competing at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he entered a sudden-death playoff with 13 other players battling for the final two spots in the tournament’s match-play round. Woods finished stroke play Tuesday tied for 63rd after shooting rounds of 76 and 70 across two courses for a 5-over total.
But on the first playoff hole Wednesday, Woods tried to reach the par-5 green in two shots. However, he came up short and landed in the rough. As he lined up his third shot, the loud sound of an iPhone camera shutter went off during his backswing.
“Really, dude? I mean, come on,” Woods said after the missed shot.
“Right in the middle of his swing,” someone else from the crowd added.
Woods was unable to recover from the distraction, eventually making a bogey that ended his tournament run. Eli Wessel and Hudson Kutchma went on to claim the final two spots in match play.
The tournament was Woods’ third appearance at the U.S. Junior Amateur, and despite the disappointing finish, he showed improvement from previous years. He has continued to build his amateur career while verbally committing to play college golf at Florida State University for the recruiting class of 2027.
The incident comes after a challenging stretch for Tiger Woods, who completed an inpatient rehab program in Switzerland before returning to the U.S. in mid-June following a rollover crash and DUI arrest in Florida.
Since then, the golf icon has slowly started making public appearances again, including a stop at a PGA Tour event on June 23. His legal case tied to the March crash is still ongoing.
