PONTE VEDRA BEACH | Charlie Woods made some of his father's short-game magic come to life at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on Sept. 4 during the first round of the American Junior Golf Association Junior Players Championship.
It wasn't "Better than Most" but it was pretty good for a 17-year-old.
Woods, who began the first round at No. 10, was coming off birdies at Nos. 15 and 16 that offset early bogeys at the 11th and 14th holes. Facing a 134-yard tee shot at the 17th hole Island Green, with no wind and a back-right hole placement, Woods pulled his wedge a bit and for a few seconds, thought he had found the water.
But fans standing on a bank behind the hole gave a baseball umpire's "safe" signal, indicating the ball was dry.
It was,
but it would be no easy shot. The ball had landed on the footpath players use to enter the green and rolled about 30 feet down. It was on short grass and he had a stance but the ball was tight to the pin, with little room to work with.
Woods then chipped the ball barely onto the putting surface. The ball checked and rolled to within 4 feet. He made the putt for par.
Woods' father Tigermade one of the most famous shots in Players Championship history at No. 17 in the third round in 2001, when he drained a double-breaking, 60-foot putt for birdie. The feat has been dubbed ever since the "Better than Most" putt, since that was what NBC commentator Gary Koch kept saying when the ball was tracking to the hole, referring to most players being unable to get the ball close from that spot.
Tiger Woods went on to win the first of his two Players Championships that year. Charlie Woods is one of four sons of past Players winners to compete in the Junior Players, including Dru Love (Davis Love III), Tyler McCumber (Mark) and Cameron Kuchar (Matt).
Charlie Woods closed out his front nine by draining an 18-foot putt for birdie at the par-4 18th hole. At the time he made the putt, he moved into a tie for second at 1-under par.
Woods will tee off at No. 1 at 10 a.m. in the second round on Sept. 5. The final round is Sept. 6.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Charlie Woods conjures up a par from the footpath at the Island Green
