Were the “prophecies” from Charlie Woods’ former coach correct when assessing Tiger’s son’s future?
Charlie Woods Fails to Earn ‘Guarantee’ as Father Tiger Woods’ Impact Gets Downplayed by Veteran Coach Pete Cowen
It’s not easy being the son of the world’s most famous golf player. Tiger Woods has symbolized golf to the world for the better part of the last two decades. When you’re his son, fans automatically expect you to not just follow in your father’s footsteps but also measure up to him. ‘Insane’ would perhaps be an understatement to describe the pressure. Even Pete Cowen, the legendary British coach who has trained the likes of Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, and Lee Westwood, admits that it’s tough being Charlie Woods.
So, will the young golfer be able to overcome the pressure? Can the 15-year-old junior golfer eventually match his father’s legacy? And most importantly, does being Tiger Woods’ son automatically guarantee his success, as a lot of fans speculate? In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports’ Noah Lock, the veteran coach shared his honest thoughts.
Pete Cowen gets honest about Charlie Woods
“The young man has got a lot of pressure on him because of his father.” There is no denying it, and Pete Cowen is quick to admit it. Consider this: teenage Woods has been in the spotlight since age 12, when he turned up with his father at the 2020 PNC Championship. His every performance has made headlines, including his win at the junior-level tournament for the school he plays for.
Can he use the pressure as motivation to perform better? Tiger Woods has always been in the spotlight since turning every head at the 1997 Masters. Pressure has never been a hurdle for the 15-time Major winner. Moreover, Charlie Woods is not the first son trying to fill in his legendary father’s shoes. But history has not been so kind to the children.
Pete Cowen elaborates in the EssentaillySports FanCast: “Jack Nicklaus has kids. They had an awful lot of pressure on them. Two of them were professional golfers.” Indeed, Gary Nicklaus played briefly on the PGA Tour from 2000 to 2003. At age 16, already dubbed the ‘Next Nicklaus’ on the cover of a famous sports journal, Gary Nicklaus, after a three-year stint at the top tier, eventually left professional golf to focus on the family business.Giving one more example, Cowen adds, “Gary Player’s son was a professional golfer.” For Wayne Player, the son of nine-time major winner Gary Player, the path was quite similar. Player followed in his father’s footsteps initially. He competed in 17 PGA Tour events but failed to make the cut before quitting.
So, what does it mean for Charlie Woods? The British coach finally answers the most pressing question in the ES Exclusive: “Just because he got a great father that’s (sic) a great player, that doesn’t guarantee your son (will be a great player).” For both Nicklaus and Player, their fathers’ success meant little in their careers.
Clearly, teenage Woods doesn’t have history by his side. The concluding message from the veteran coach was that the young prodigy has to grind to emulate his father’s success. And grind is something Woods has quite adapted himself to.
His stout physique and elegant swing have earned a lot of praise and ‘envy’ from professional golfers. It has also landed him two tournament wins this year, one with his father as his bagman.
