Charlie Woods of Jupiter turned in one of his strongest performances in competitive golf last year in the Junior PGA Championship at the Purdue University course in West Lafayette, Ind., tying for ninth after starting the fourth round in second place.
Would Woods repeat that performance in the 2026 Junior PGA, being played at the Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco, the home course of the PGA of America?
If so, Woods will need to bounce back fast in the second round.
Woods bogeyed his first and fourth holes at the East Course, followed his first birdie of the day at No. 7 with a double-bogey at the ninth hole, then went through a roller-coaster final four holes to finish in a tie for 53rd at 3-over 75, seven shots behind leader Kailer Stone of Alameda,
Calif.
Woods made another bogey at No. 14 (his second bogey on a par-5 hole), then birdied No. 15. He finished with a bogey at the 16th hole, a par at No. 17 and a closing birdie at No. 18.
When does Charlie Woods play next?
Woods will play on the West Course in the second round on July 29, beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT)
There is a 36-hole cut to the low-60 players, plus ties, and a 54-hole cut to the low-30, plus ties. Woods had no problem making both cuts last year when he got as high as second place with rounds of 70-66-66 to enter the fourth round seven shots behind eventual winner Lunden Esterline.
No one was catching Esterline that week. He finished at 19-under, while Woods shot 76 in the final round and dropped to a tie for ninth at 9-under.
Other Palm Beach players are in the tournament
Matthew Marigliano of Palm Beach Gardens is the low player among Palm Beach juniors in the tournament with a 72 that tied for 17th.
Tristan Rhodenizer of Palm Beach Gardens (73) is tied for 27th, William Cui of Jupiter and Wylie Inman of Palm Beach Gardens ( both at 74) are tied for 39th. Kenny Klein of Palm Beach Gardens (76) is tied for 72nd and Ryan Nana Tanke of Palm Beach Gardens (77) is tied for 89th.
Their tee times, all at the West Course, are Inman at 8:10 a.m., Klein at 8:36 a.m., Marigliano at 8:54 a.m., Cui at 1:41 p.m., Nana Tanke at 3:35 p.m. and Rhodenizer at 3:42 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Charlie Woods gets off to rough start in first round of the Junior PGA
