‘This changes things’: Charlie Woods’ arrival adds intrigue, attention at U.S. Junior Amateur

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – Word spread quickly. Some Oakland Hills members tracked it on their phones, and others saw the news trickle out on social media. Then, the email blast hit the inboxes of the entire club membership.

Charlie Woods, 15, had secured medalist honors at a USGA qualifier in Florida and nabbed a spot in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills for the following month.

“They were like, ‘This changes things,’” said Tom Stacy, a longtime member volunteering this week.

The tournament suddenly needed more volunteers and an additional security plan. Bigger crowds were on the way. That’s often the case for anything or anyone related to Tiger Woods, and the beginning of his son Charlie’s golf career garnered exploding interest from the moment he played the PNC Championship as an 11-year-old. Even as the U.S. Junior Amateur gained popularity with the growing youth movement on the PGA TOUR, they anticipated this would be different.

Nick Dunlap, now a two-time TOUR winner, won the Junior Am just three years ago. Michael Thorbjornsen, Will Zalatoris, Min Woo Lee, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods won the event. But those victories came before the golf world knew who they were. Charlie Woods didn’t have that luxury as he made his first USGA Championship appearance Monday – his story already a few chapters deep, inextricably tied to his father. It’s a reality that carries equal parts privilege and pressure. A few hundred people stood at the first tee of Oakland Hills’ North Course just before 8:30 a.m. to watch the 15-year-old Woods start his round.

The elder Woods watched from an unfamiliar position, perched on a hill outside the ropes, 30 yards behind the tee box. Down below, the horde of fans and media had their backs turned to him. Their focus was elsewhere – on the other golfer donning Sun Day Red apparel with a plush Tiger driver headcover. He was about to tee off.

Chase Kyes tried not to look at him. He was already jittery, playing with Charlie Woods in front of crowds he had only seen as a spectator. If he looked at Tiger Woods, who walked all 18 holes with the group, it might have all gone south.

“I tried to just do my own thing. I looked over at (Tiger) a couple of times, but I tried not to look that much,” said Kyes, a rising high school senior from Alabama who intends to play collegiately for the Crimson Tide. “There's a lot of pressure with his name.”

It took a few swings to calm down and get used to the new normal. While almost every other group had just a walking scorer with them, Woods’ group came with a whole entourage. After the players teed off, a half-dozen volunteers followed behind them with a rope line, keeping the golfers separate from the growing crowd, which peaked with over 1,000 people at high-traffic points. Rules officials were positioned ahead and behind the group, ensuring fans didn’t accidentally interrupt other groups. Tee boxes and greens were often several rows deep, with even more near Tiger Woods, who largely stayed in the crowd but was accompanied by another group of volunteers and security.

Oakland Hills and the USGA increased their efforts to ensure the event ran smoothly. USGA Championship Director Rob Doone said volunteer, media and fan interest all jumped in the days after Woods qualified. He also added they could flex the number of volunteers with the group. At the busiest points of the day, more volunteers can be called to help.

“It’s not a ticketed event, so we don’t know exactly how many people are going to be coming through the gate. We have a reserve to be able to beef up whatever we might need,” Doone said.

Former Korn Ferry Tour player Jeff Curl caddied for Nick Dunlap during his U.S. Amateur victory last summer and is caddying for Kyes this week. He said the crowd for Monday’s opening round was roughly the same as Dunlap’s championship match against Neal Shipley.

“It had that feel, no doubt,” Curl said, “with the ropes and atmosphere.”

“I loved it,” said Kyes, who bogeyed the first but carded a solid even-par 70. “If you're playing in a different group and you hit a good shot, your dad is clapping. You hit a good shot in this group, and you’ve got 400 people clapping.”

The galleries stayed strong despite the struggles of Woods, who carded 12-over 82. The fans came for the experience.

“Did you ever think you’d say you’re walking up the middle of the fairway with Charlie and Tiger Woods?” one fan cracked as he kept pace just a few feet from the father-son duo on the fourth hole. Countless dads positioned their sons along the rope line near Charlie or Tiger to snap a photo. A group of maintenance workers briefly stopped what they were doing to watch Woods tee off on the sixth hole. A family walking their dog peered through the fence to watch Woods tee off the seventh hole. Other volunteers, like Tom Stacy, became spectators when their shifts ended.

“I had to come see it,” said Stacy, adding his dad was also the walking scorer for Woods' group.

It was a family affair through and through.