The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The Woods family proved that adage once again.
Fifteen-year-old Charlie Woods is a talented high school golfer full of power and finesse. His attitude also imitates his father, which is not surprising.
Tiger Woods had all the power in the world at Charlie's age. At age 15, the older Woods was in the midst of winning six consecutive USGA titles. If only I could have known at the time what his advanced stats were.
Thanks to advances in technology, computers and models can now tell you club head speed, ball speed, and spin for as little as a dime. All of these numbers are important parts of a golfer's arsenal, as they ultimately help players increase distance and improve accuracy.
So during Friday's PNC Championship Pro-Am, Charlie Hit a drive with a ball speed of 176 miles per hour.
One hundred and seventy-six! When I was 15 years old!
That's higher than average on the PGA Tour, with Irishman Shane Lowry occupying the slot for the 2024 season. Lowry ranked 95th on the PGA Tour in ball speed, averaging 173.65 mph. Scottie Scheffler, the best player in the world, had an average ball velocity of 176.29, which ranked 64th on tour. Yes, Charlie produced the same ball speed as the reigning Masters champion on this drive on Friday.
To calculate these numbers, the tour uses the golf ball's peak velocity at launch off the tee on par 4s and par 5s only. Of course, only drives with valid radar measurements are used.
For that matter, Cameron Champ led the tour with an average ball speed of 190.12 mph, which is a ridiculous number. Lee Min Woo took second place, and Rory McIlroy took third place with 185.58 points. All three of these players are hard hitters, which explains why they are among the top three in ball speed.
Charlie, who drove the green in last year's PNC Championship, can also bomb it. Given his velocity on Friday, it wouldn't be surprising to see similar results this time.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
