Charlie Woods has a tough start at the Junior PGA Championship.

Charlie Woods began his participation in the PGA Junior Championship with a performance that fell short of expectations. The 17-year-old son of Tiger Woods finished the first round with a score of 3 over par, 75 strokes, at the Fields Ranch East course in Frisco, Texas, placing him seven strokes off the lead and tied for 53rd position.

The young golfer started the round with two bogeys on holes one and four before making his first birdie on hole seven. However, a double bogey on the ninth hole meant he completed the first nine holes with a score of 39 strokes. On the back nine, Woods alternated between birdies on holes 15 and 18 and bogeys on holes 14 and 16, failing to gain any ground in the standings. Last year, Woods finished in 9th place in the same tournament, held at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue University, one of the few tournaments his father, Tiger, has never won.

The conditions in Frisco were challenging, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius, testing all competitors. Only 16 of the 156 players managed to finish the round under par, highlighting the difficulty of the course, where 29 players recorded scores of 80 or higher. The leader of the day was Kailer Stone from Alameda, California, who shone by making birdie on three of the last four holes, finishing with an impressive 4 under par, 68. “It was just a solid round. I stayed true to my game plan,” said Stone. “I focused on each shot individually and just put together a good round.”

On the women’s side, 16-year-old Karolyn Liu from Katy, Texas, stood out with an impressive 8 under par, 64, at the Fields Ranch West course. The competition features a cut after 36 holes for the top 60 players of both genders, including ties, and after 54 holes for the top 30.

For the second round, Woods will begin his journey at 9 a.m. local time, hoping to improve his position and advance in the competition. The PGA Junior Championship represents an important opportunity for young talents, and Woods’ performance will be closely watched not only by fans but also due to the pressure that comes from his famous name.