Charlie Woods is oh-so close to his first AJGA victory. The Benjamin School junior and son of Tiger Woods surged into a tie for second place with Miles Russell at 9-under, just one shot behind leader Luke Colton, after firing a bogey-free 65 (7-under) in the second round of the Team TaylorMade Invitational at Streamsong Resort’s Black Course. Woods carded nine birdies, including five on the front nine, where he opened with a birdie on the par-5 No. 12, and despite a pair of bogeys on the back nine, he tied with Canada’s Luke Smith for the tournament’s low second-round score.
Woods’ impressive round vaulted him into contention, and he’ll look to capitalize on his momentum in the final round. But he’ll face stiff competition from Colton, who leads at 10-under after shooting 67 for the second consecutive day, and Russell, who is currently No. 1 in the AJGA boys rankings. The stage is set for an exciting finale, but is the victory going to be easy? Well, not at all.
Charlie’s quest for this victory has only one roadblock – his opponent. Russell is no ordinary junior golfer. In 2023, Miles Russell had an impressive résumé with four wins in eight national junior tournaments, including the Junior Players Championship and the Boy’s Junior PGA Championship, which earned him the American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Boys Player of the Year award at just 15 years old, breaking Tiger Woods’ record as the youngest winner of the honor.
To add to that, Russell is also looking to build on his 2025 momentum as the golfer captured his first AJGA title back in February where led wire-to-wire to win the 2025 AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods, carding rounds of 64-70-71 for an 11-under total, three shots ahead of runner-ups Michael Riebe and Giuseppe Puebla.
But if Russel does take home the trophy, it won’t be the first time he snatches the trophy from Charlie’s hands.
The 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley was Miles Russell’s game
The 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley was Charlie Woods‘ stage to shine, but it was Miles Russell who stole the show. Russell, a 16-year-old rising PGA Tour star, clinched the win with a stunning 9-under par, finishing two shots ahead of Jackson Byrd. Meanwhile, Charlie Woods, had a tumultuous week. After opening with a 78, Woods carded two 73s but couldn’t sustain his momentum, finishing with a 3-over 75 and ending up 11-over par for the tournament.
Woods tied for 25th alongside compatriots Joshua Kim and Ronin Banerjee in a field of 36 junior golfers. Despite the finish, Woods’ participation in the Sage Valley Junior Invitational, considered the most prestigious junior golf event in the US, earned him a significant boost in rankings, jumping 235 places to 603rd in the American Junior Golf Association Rankings. His teammate, Kai Trump, granddaughter of US President Donald Trump, had a tough outing, finishing last among 24 golfers with a score of 52-over par. Nonetheless, Trump also saw a notable ranking increase, moving up 285 spots to 530th. So, do you think Charlie can redeem himself this time? Let us know in the comment section below!
