U.S. Junior Amateur 2026 LIVE: Round 2 Leaderboard as Charlie Woods fights to make cut
Follow live scoring from Saucon Valley as Tiger Woods’ son looks for a comeback as the field battles for match play places.
Sohan Patel leads the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship after a superb opening round at Saucon Valley Country Club, with Charlie Woods and Miles Russell among the biggest names looking to make their move on Tuesday.
Patel fired a 5-under-par 66 on the Old Course on Monday to take a one-shot lead into the second round.
The 17-year-old from Weston, Florida, bounced back from an opening-hole bogey with a brilliant run of golf, making six birdies across a 10-hole stretch to set the early pace.
The first-round leader returns to action at 1.10pm local time on Tuesday as he looks to secure his place in the match-play stages.
Brayden Jones sits one shot behind Patel after also posting a 66 on the Grace Course, while Spencer Shropshire and Reed Arnaldo are two shots back after rounds of 67.
The 264-player field is competing over two rounds of stroke play on Monday and Tuesday, with players taking on both Saucon Valley’s Old Course and Grace Course.
Following 36 holes, only the top 64 competitors will advance to match play, where the championship becomes a straight knockout competition ahead of Saturday’s 36-hole final.
The U.S. Junior Amateur has long been regarded as one of golf’s premier proving grounds, with former champions including Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Brian Harman, David Duval, Johnny Miller and Will Zalatoris.
Woods famously won the title three years in a row from 1991-93, and the championship trophy has now been renamed the Tiger Woods Trophy in recognition of his historic achievements.
Charlie Woods with work to do
One of the biggest attractions in this year’s field is Charlie Woods, the son of a certain 15-time major champion.
Charlie endured a tough opening round, carding a 5-over-par 76 on the Old Course after a costly triple bogey, leaving him tied for 125th place heading into Tuesday.
With only the top 64 players progressing to match play, Woods will need a significant improvement in the second round if he is to keep his championship hopes alive.
He tees off at 1.21pm local time as he looks to climb the leaderboard.
Miles Russell also remains one of the players to watch.
The 17-year-old, ranked No. 7 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and recently named to the 2026 USA Walker Cup Team, opened with a 1-under-par 69 on the Grace Course and attracted one of the largest galleries of the opening day.
Russell begins his second round at 8.39am local time, aiming to strengthen his position and secure a place in the knockout stages.
The winner of the championship will earn an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, provided they remain an amateur, as well as spots in the next two U.S. Amateur Championships.
The second round is now underway, with players fighting to finish inside the top 64 and book their place in match play.
Television coverage begins later in the week, with Golf Channel showing the quarter-final highlights and semi-finals on Friday before Saturday’s 36-hole championship match is broadcast live.
For now, the live leaderboard is the place to follow the action as the next generation of golf stars battle for the chance to lift the newly named Tiger Woods Trophy.
Andy Roberts first joined GolfMagic on a month's work experience back in April 2011.
Andy then assumed the role of GolfMagic Editor in 2015.
