The New Year’s Concert, the Four Hills Tournament, and the Junior Orange Bowl. Few things are more traditional to start the month of January, with all due respect, of course, to the main protagonists of these dates: the Three Wise Men.
We won’t be so bold as to talk about the phenomenal spectacle in Vienna or the ski jumps, but we will talk about the Junior Orange Bowl of golf, an event that has been held since 1964 in Florida and has brought together some of the world’s best golfers in their younger years. The competition is aimed at the most outstanding players (not only from the United States) under 18 years old. It is played at The Biltmore in Coral Gables, a course that will be 100 years old in 2026.
This year 2026 has a very special attraction. Charlie Woods, Tiger’s son, is participating for the first time. Needless to say, the father won this same tournament in 1991, setting a record that has yet to be surpassed: the largest margin of strokes over the second-place finisher. He won by no less than 14… Tiger was 15 years old.
The most significant aspect is not that Charlie, who will turn 17 next February, is participating, but that Tiger has become his shadow during the tournament. He follows him on every round, is with him during pre-round warm-ups, they share strategy, and he analyses his clubs. A full-fledged coach. What we wouldn’t give to be in one of those post-round father-son talks to dissect what happened and draw conclusions.
Three rounds have already been played. This Tuesday, Epiphany Day, the fourth and final round takes place. Charlie has signed cards of 73, 72, and 71 strokes and is in 20th place in the standings with a total of +3. It seems he won’t emulate his father, at least this year. The leader is Colombian Tomás Restrepo with -12. What he does have within reach is the top 10, specifically five strokes away, although he will have to play very well. Undoubtedly, he will need to score under 70 strokes to give himself a chance. Charlie is tied in the standings with Cameron Kuchar, Matt’s son, who is also present at the tournament, following each and every one of his offspring’s rounds.
Tiger’s presence is an attraction for the tournament, although it also has its challenging aspects. For Charlie, he is still his father and is used to it, but put yourself in the shoes of those playing with Charlie and seeing how each of their shots is observed and scrutinised by Tiger Woods. Our prayers are with them. On the first and second days, he played with Takeru Michiue and Ben Sessions, while in the third round, he shared golf with Cameron Kuchar and Martin Sandoval, and today in the fourth, he repeats with Kuchar’s son and William O’Riordan. In this regard, the Japanese Michiue’s first-day round of 67 strokes was remarkable.
Not many can boast of having played 18 holes under the watchful eyes of Tiger Woods, with even the boldest having the chance to ask the legend for some advice on their game. There you have it.
The Junior Orange Bowl is contested in both male and female categories. In both, there is Spanish presence. Among the boys, Galician Hugo Rodríguez is in 42nd place, while among the girls, Daniela Gallego from Castellón is in 33rd. In the female category, English Charlotte Naughton leads.
