Charlie Woods wins playoff to qualify for second straight U.S. Junior Amateur

Charlie Woods is headed to another USGA championship.

Woods, 16, qualified for his second straight U.S. Junior Amateur on Thursday, winning a 3-for-1 playoff at Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Florida, for the last of five qualifying spots.

Woods shot 1-under 71, closing in bogey-birdie-bogey, along with Oscar Crowe and Matthew Marigliano before winning the playoff. Medalist Arth Sinha also qualified, as did Lucas Gimenez, Sohan Patel and Wylie Inman.

The U.S. Junior will be contested July 21-26 at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.

Last year, Woods medaled in his U.S. Junior qualifier before shooting 22-over 162 at Oakland Hills to tie for 240th in the 264-player field and miss the match-play cut in his USGA debut.

Woods, a rising junior at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, has skyrocketed in the AJGA rankings. He’s No. 17, fourth in the Class of 2027, boosted greatly by his first AJGA invitational victory last month at the Team TaylorMade Invitational at Streamsong Resort’s Black Course.

He’s also tied for 10th in the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup standings. The six boys on the team, which will compete in the days prior to the Ryder Cup at Bethpage, will consist of the U.S. Junior winner, the Junior PGA winner and runner-up, the top two players in points and a captain’s pick.

As of June 15, Woods could began officially communicating with college coaches. He’s expected to have plenty of interest from Power-4 schools.