Charlie Woods, son of golf legend Tiger Woods, has verbally committed to play college golf at Florida State University as part of the 2027 recruiting class. The high school junior announced his decision on Instagram, citing excitement to join the Seminoles. He will team up with top-ranked amateur Miles Russell.
Charlie Woods, a junior at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, revealed his commitment to Florida State on Tuesday via Instagram, stating, “Excited to announce my commitment to play golf at Florida State University — go Noles!” Ranked 21st in the Rolex American Junior Golf Association boys rankings and ninth in the class of 2027, Woods recently helped his high school team secure the Florida High School Athletic Association Class A state title in November, where he shot a four-under 68 in the final round.
Woods earned his first AJGA victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational in May 2025, propelling him from 604th to 14th in the rankings. Since then, he has competed in five AJGA events, achieving one top-10 and three top-20 finishes, with his most recent result a T-19th at the Junior Orange Bowl International Championship in January. He has recorded two amateur tournament wins and three top-10 finishes overall.
At Florida State, Woods will join Miles Russell, the world’s top-ranked amateur and a fellow TaylorMade athlete. The two, who share a friendship and have competed in top youth tournaments, visited the Tallahassee campus together during the 2025 football season. They can officially sign with the Seminoles in November.
Several connections influenced Woods' choice. Florida State head coach Trey Jones, who has guided the team to four top-five NCAA tournament finishes including a 2024 runner-up, recruited Woods personally after observing his state championship performance on November 15. FSU alumnus and multiple major winner Brooks Koepka, a friend of the Woods family, adds another tie; Koepka credited Tiger Woods for helping facilitate his return to the PGA Tour, saying, “I felt like Tiger was somebody that I’ve relied on in the past for questions and answers.” Woods also shares a TaylorMade connection with recent FSU graduate Luke Clanton.
Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion who starred at Stanford, reflected on the modern recruiting process at the December Hero World Challenge: “It’s been very different... Now you have cell phones. We didn’t have cell phones. We would have written letters... It’s just a different world.” Florida State, located about 400 miles from Woods' home, contrasts with his father's and sister Sam's Stanford attendance.
