Junior Ryder Cup Decision for Charlie Woods Unveiled After Junior PGA Championships Closing Round
Charlie Woods’ bid to secure an automatic place on Team USA for the Junior Ryder Cup came up short after he carded a three-over-par 74 in the final round of the Junior PGA Championships in Indiana.
The 16-year-old entered the day tied for second, knowing that a top-two finish would guarantee qualification for the Junior Ryder Cup team ahead of next month’s matches at Nassau Country Club and Bethpage Black in New York (September 23–25).
Woods was level through 13 holes before a bogey at the 14th and a costly double bogey at the 15th sent him sliding down the leaderboard. His frustration peaked on the final green when a birdie putt lipped out.
The tournament was dominated by Lunden Esterline, who clinched victory at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex’s Ackerman-Allen Course in West Lafayette with a 19-under-par total, finishing six shots clear of the field.
READ MORE : Tiger Woods’ Son, Charlie Mounts Pressure and Braces for
While Woods could still make the Junior Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick, that scenario appears unlikely, with several higher-ranked contenders expected to be favored by Team USA captain Suzy Whaley.
Instead, Woods will turn his attention to the U.S. Junior Amateur, set for July 21–26 at Trinity Forest in Dallas, where he’ll compete alongside top finishers Arth Sinha (67), Lucas Gimenez (68), Sohan Patel (69), and Wylie Inman (69). Crowe and Marigliano have been named as alternates.
Woods, who missed the cut at last year’s Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills, recently captured his first junior tournament victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational in Bowling Green, Florida.
Fans can watch the 2025 Ryder Cup live on Sky Sports from September 26–28.
