Tiger Woods son Charlie Woods struggles continue with T42 at Terra Cotta Invitational 2026 as Justin Thomas steps in with support

The latest outing for Charlie Woods once again showed a mix of hope and struggle. Playing at the Terra Cotta Invitational 2026 at Naples National Golf Club, he finished tied 42nd in a field of 72 players.

His total score of 3 over par came from rounds of 79, 71, and 69. On paper, it looks like progress. But when you follow the round closely, it tells a more uneven story.What stands out is how his performance changed day by day. The first round put him on the back foot early, and from there, he kept trying to recover. While the last two rounds showed better control, the slow start cost him a strong finish. This pattern is becoming familiar in his recent tournaments, where a few good moments are not enough to balance the mistakes.

Charlie Woods struggles continue despite late recovery at Terra Cotta Invitational as Justin Thomas offers support

The opening round made things tough right away. Starting from the back nine, Charlie Woods dropped three straight bogeys from holes 16 to 18. That early pressure stayed with him. He added more bogeys on holes 2, 5, 6, and 8. There were birdies on 4 and 9, but they could not fully fix the damage. By the end of day one, he was near the bottom of the leaderboard.Then came a better second round. He shot 1 under 71, mixing four bogeys with five birdies.

That round helped him move up from 70th to 57th. It showed he could reset and fight back. The final round was even better. After a bogey on the first hole, he settled down and picked up birdies on 6, 7, 9, and 18. That pushed him up 15 spots to finish T42.Still, this is not just about one event. His 2026 season has been difficult overall. At the Junior Invitational, he finished last with rounds of 75, 76, 83, and 80. At the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship, he placed 68th.

He did slightly better at the Junior Orange Bowl, finishing 19th, but consistency is still missing.Even with these results, there is support around him. Justin Thomas spoke about him on the Smylie Show. He said, “I wanna be if he wants me to be. I wanna help in any way I can. The shots that he can hit, a lot of guys on Tour can’t hit. He’s very, very impressive and I’m rooting for the best.” Thomas shares a close bond with Tiger Woods, which makes his support feel more personal.Right now, Charlie Woods is still finding his rhythm. The talent is visible, but the results are not steady yet. Until he can put together full rounds without mistakes, these mixed finishes are likely to continue.