Charlie Woods’ hopes of making the US Junior Ryder Cup team went up in smoke during the final round of the Junior PGA Championships.
The 16-year-old was eyeing the first big title of his junior career this week, with many of golf’s brightest young talents descending on Purdue University.
The son of golf legend Tiger Woods needed to finish first or second in Indiana to secure himself a spot in next month’s event at at Nassau Country Club and Bethpage Black.
And Woods was second on the leaderboard heading into Friday’s final round at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
But the teen shot a three-over-par 74 in Friday’s final round which saw him finish in a tie for ninth.
Woods started the day seven shots adrift of overnight leader Lunden Esterline and 18 holes later, the gap was 10.
Charlie Woods’ hopes of making the US Junior Ryder Cup team went up in smoke on Friday
He needed to come first or second at the Junior PGA Championships but finished tied for ninth
In the end, Lunden Esterline (pictured) cruised to victory at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex
Tiger Woods watched on earlier this month when Charlie struggled at the US Junior Amateur
Woods ended the tournament on nine-under-par, with Esterline cruising to a six-shot victory in West Lafayette.
There were two automatic spots on Team USA up for grabs ahead of the match against Europe in September.
Now, only one captain’s pick remains and Woods, who sat 20th in the latest American Junior Golf Association rankings, is unlikely to be selected.
The 16-year-old plays for the Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, and has never competed in the Ryder Cup.
Woods did win the AJGA’s Team TaylorMade Invitational in May but he missed the cut at the recent US Junior Amateur.
This week, he opened with an one-under-par 70 – to sit 43rd out of 156 competitors -before rocketing up the leaderboard Wednesday.
Woods was six-under-par for his second round, sinking an astonishing nine birdies across at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in Indiana.
His father, 49, has won 15 majors but never triumphed at the Junior PGA Championships.
