Charlie Woods surged into contention Wednesday at the Junior PGA Championship with an impressive second-round performance.
The 16-year-old fired a 6-under 66 at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana, putting him in solo fourth at 7 under. He’s six shots behind leader Lunden Esterline, a 2027 Auburn commit, in the 72-hole tournament.
Woods bounced back nicely after missing the cut at the U.S. Junior Amateur last week. Playing the Kampen-Cosler Course – a Pete Dye design that hosted the 2008 NCAA Championship – he racked up nine birdies during his round. He had his score to 8 under after birdieing the par-4 15th, but stumbled with back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 before finishing with a par.
This week’s performance could be crucial for Woods’ Junior Ryder Cup aspirations. The winner and runner-up at the Junior PGA automatically qualify for the six-player team that will compete ahead of this year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage. There’s also one captain’s pick available, though that’s likely earmarked for world No. 26 amateur Luke Colton if he doesn’t finish in the top two. Colton was sitting at 3 under through 36 holes.
It’s a significant improvement for Woods after his struggles at Trinity Forest last week, where he shot 81-74 to miss the match-play cut at his second consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur. Colton, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinals of that event.
Woods, who hasn’t yet committed to a college program as a 2027 recruit, had his breakthrough moment this past May when he won the AJGA’s Team TaylorMade Invitational. That victory came against a strong field that included Colton, top-ranked Miles Russell, and Tyler Watts, another top-50 amateur.
