Charlie Woods Wins District Title As Benjamin Defends State Crown Bid
A 40-foot birdie putt on the final hole gave Tiger Woods' son medalist honours and sent Benjamin School into the postseason with a 15-stroke district win.
Charlie Woods closed out the Florida Class 1A-District 14 boys golf championship with a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th green, a shot that settled both the individual title and his team's procession toward the state finals.
The 17-year-old Benjamin School senior carded a two-under 69 at Champions Club at Summerfield in Stuart on Tuesday, edging teammate Brooks Colton by a single stroke after Colton signed for a one-under 70 of his own.
Woods built his round with birdies at the 4th, 10th and 13th before the closing putt sealed medalist honours, with a bogey at the 15th the only blemish on an otherwise steady card of pars.
Benjamin's team score of 290 was good for a 15-stroke victory over runner-up Oxbridge Academy on 305, with King's Academy third on 311 after both chasing schools had pushed the Buccaneers through the opening holes before a stronger back nine put the result beyond doubt.
Cardinal Newman finished fourth on 330, ahead of Pine School, Jupiter Christian, The Greene School, Lake Worth Christian and Berean Christian in the nine-team field, according to figures reported by Yahoo Sports.
Benjamin coach Toby Harbeck praised the display from his top two players. "We got two good rounds out of Charlie and Brooks," he said. "Charlie made a 40-foot putt on the last hole to win the individual title. Charlie shot a 69 and Brooks shot a 70. That's what you want out of your No. 1 and No. 2."
Harbeck also pointed to the demanding conditions on the day, describing the course as having "played really hard, long, and windy and rainy." He added: "It was everything. So, I'm very pleased. You're trying to move on each week and get to the finals, so that's what we did. We've got to keep going forward."
The district win keeps Benjamin on course to defend the Florida Class 1A State Championship it claimed in 2025, the school's second title in three years, with the Buccaneers now advancing to regional competition next week in pursuit of a return trip to the state finals in mid-November.
Golf Monthly also reported that a place in December's PNC Championship has reportedly been held for Charlie and his father, Tiger Woods, with the father-son event scheduled for December 14-17 should the pairing be confirmed.
For now, the immediate focus stays on the postseason, with Benjamin needing a strong regional showing to keep alive its bid for back-to-back state titles.