Ahead of joining his class and teammates at Florida State, Charlie Woods has penned his first NIL sponsorship by adding a major golf equipment brand into his bag.
It should come as no surprise to anyone remotely aware of the sport to hear that Charlie Woods has already become a golfer worthy of keeping an eye on through his amateur years, even through his mere 17 years of age.
The son of one of the greatest players of all time, if the last name didn’t give it away for you, Woods Jr’s life has been intertwined with the game of golf since before he was even aware of what the sport even was.
Having spent his formative years seeing his father captivate the world over, Woods seems to have become just as obsessed with succeeding as the Big Cat himself with an already well-established career since his debut at the PNC Championship at just 11 years old in 2020.
The young phenom has garnered more and more attention and awareness between then and now, not just for the lineage he comes from, but his own comfort and affinity for playing under the limelight – something surely helped by having Tiger Woods to lean on and learn from during that development.
Speculation had been rife ever since that first appearance at a tour event on whether Charlie would choose to follow in his father’s footsteps, but the confirmation seemed in no doubt when, earlier this year, he announced he would be committing to Florida State University and their Seminoles golf team for 2027.
This follows on from a junior career that so far includes an eight-stroke win in the 14 to 15-year-old category of the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s Major Championship at Royal Palm Beach – a Florida High School Athletic Association team victory in 2023 – and an American Junior Golf Association title at the 2025 Team TaylorMade Invitational.
Undoubtably that final triumph, along with his father’s own connection to the company, was enough to secure the eyes of one of golf’s preeminent club and ball manufacturers in the TaylorMade Golf Company, who have now signed Charlie to his own NIL equipment deal ahead of his opening college year.
“We build our roster of athletes around those who are driven by the game of golf and have an unmatched desire to compete at the highest level,” David Ables, CEO and President of TaylorMade Golf, said.
“Charlie epitomizes that every time he tees it up. The growth of his game over the last few years speaks for itself and we are humbled he chose TaylorMade to support him as he competes at the junior level and during his transition to collegiate golf.”
Charlie Woods: What’s in the bag
Woods has been in and out of TaylorMade equipment for many years now, a benefit of Tiger’s own endorsement, but the announcement today now solidifies the setup of our junior player.
The company have confirmed that Charlie Woods will be playing a near-full bag of their clubs with the exception of putter, as well as golf ball, as he begins the next stages of his amateur career.
Woods himself seems keen to express his gratitude and happiness at joining a brand that works with some of the most successful golfers in world, including six-time major winner Rory McIlroy, men’s world number one Scottie Scheffler, and women’s world number one Nelly Korda.
“Having TaylorMade in my corner has been great,” Woods enthused, when asked for comment.
“They’ve supported me a lot over the last year, and I’m really excited to officially be part of Team TaylorMade. So many great players have been a part of this team, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.”
The TaylorMade Qi4D woods will feature prominently in Charlie’s bag, especially after the brand announced they would be moving to a two-year cycle going forward, with the full breakdown below:
Driver
Model: TaylorMade Qi4D 10.5º
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 60X
Fairway Woods
Model/s: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15º), 7-wood (21º)
Shaft/s: Mitsubishi Diamana D+Limited 80TX, Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 80X
Irons
Model/s: TaylorMade P7CB (3-4i), P7TW (5-PW)
Shaft/s: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (3-PW)
Wedges
Model: TaylorMade MG5 (54.12TW, 60.11SX)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter
Model: Scotty Cameron 009 Prototype
Ball
Model: TaylorMade TP5X
What is an NIL contract?
For many years, college athletes in the US’ National College Athletics Association (NCAA) sports leagues were prohibited from being able to profit from their personal image rights.
‘Name, Image, and Likeness’ restrictions were originally put in place to stop individuals from profiting out of their fame and to stop commercial contracts from being offered as recruitment tools for schools and colleges.
In recent years, however, changes to NCAA rules and laws in states have allowed athletes to benefit from individual contracts, so long as universities apply policies to their students in line with what the NCAA suggests.
Many schools take this a step further, with classes and resources available to their own sportsmen and women on navigating these business dealings, including working with agents and managers.
Colleges will often advise on what deals are in the best interests of players, as well as providing final approval for acceptable endorsements where deals may be in contrast with or subject to the school’s views or morals.
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