Charlie Woods Officially Signs With Florida State Golf

Charlie Woods is officially a Seminole. The 17-year-old son of Tiger Woods signed his athletic grant-in-aid agreement with Florida State University on Wednesday, November 11, and announced the signing on his own social media pages.

"Proud to officially be a Seminole," Woods wrote on Instagram. "Huge thank you to my family, coaches, and everyone who has helped me get here. Can't wait to get started and compete alongside my new teammates."

Woods had already taken part in a signing ceremony last Friday at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where his father and his mother, Elin Nordegren, were with him. The paperwork itself was not signed until Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period, which made the move official.

A class built around two friends

Woods is part of a four player Florida State class for 2027 that Golfweek ranks No. 1 in the country on signing day. The headliner is Miles Russell, the No. 1 junior in the country, who is also one of Woods's closest friends. Sweden's Edwin Askerfors and Orlando native Kaden Puranik complete the class for head coach Trey Jones.

Russell said the two push each other every time they play. "He's competitive, I'm competitive, so any time we're just out playing around, chipping, putting, whatever it is, there's always a little game going on," Russell told Golf Channel. "He's just a normal kid. He's one of my best friends and definitely one of my favorite people to play golf with."

Jones praised the balance and rhythm in Woods's swing. "He might have the best balance and rhythm of any player I've coached," Jones said. Golf Channel ranks Woods as the No. 41 signee in his class, and he projects as a four or five year player for the Seminoles rather than a quick departure.

His own record, built over the past year

Woods first played in front of a national audience as an 11-year-old alongside his father at the 2020 PNC Championship. His own breakthrough came in May 2025, when he won the AJGA Team TaylorMade Invitational at Streamsong, beating a field that included Russell. He has qualified for three U.S. Junior Amateurs, and earlier this year he reached a playoff for a match play place at the U.S. Junior before falling short. In September he signed a name, image and likeness deal with TaylorMade, and he recently posted a tie for eighth at the Junior Players Championship, his first top 10 at that event.

The signing does not end his high school season. Woods is leading The Benjamin School's run in the Florida 1A playoffs, and the Buccaneers play the state championship on November 17 and 18 at Mission Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills.

A different path from his father

Tiger Woods played two years at Stanford before turning professional. His son chose to stay in Florida instead. Jones has coached at Florida State for more than two decades and has produced players such as Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger and Luke Clanton. The Seminoles have reached the NCAA Men's Golf Championship in five of the past six years and finished runner-up in 2024. Woods is part of the Class of 2027 and is expected to arrive on campus in fall 2027, after his final season at Benjamin.