Charlie Woods stumbles at Jr. PGA, falls short in Ryder Cup qualifying bid

Charlie Woods et Tiger Woods

Charlie Woods dropped into a tie for ninth on the final day of the Junior PGA Championship, which took him out of the running for a qualifying spot for the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team on Friday.

The 16-year-old son of Tiger Woods shot back-to-back 66s in the second and third rounds at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind., and was tied for second place entering the final round.

But he posted a final-round 74 at the Ackerman-Allen course on Friday, with three bogeys and a double bogey over his final 10 holes.

The Junior Ryder Cup will take place Sept. 23-25 at Bethpage Black and Nassau Country Club, just ahead of the senior event between the U.S. and Team Europe that weekend.

There is also one captain’s pick for the team, although Woods is likely not in line to be selected for it.

Lunden Esterline was the runaway winner of the Junior PGA Championship with a final score of 19-under-par 266 (featuring a second-round 62).

Giuseppe Puebla shot a final-round 64 to rocket into a tie for second at 13 under with Tyler Mawhinney (69). In doing so, Puebla received the other automatic qualifying spot for the Junior Ryder Cup.

Esterline, from Andover, Kan., is a 2027 Auburn commit. Puebla, from Royal Palm Beach, Fla., is also part of the Class of 2027 and uncommitted for college.

Charlie Woods finished 9 under for the week, 10 off Esterline’s pace and four strokes out of the running for a Ryder Cup qualifying spot.