"Leave him alone" - U.S. Amateur champion calls out media over Charlie Woods treatment

Newly-crowned U.S. Amateur champion Jack Whaley has urged the media to ease the intense spotlight on Charlie Woods as the teenage prodigy prepares for the next chapter of his golf career.

Whaley became only the third Englishman since 1911 to capture the coveted Havemeyer Trophy, defeating American Jay Leng Jr. 4&3 in the final at a rain-soaked Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania. 

The victory earned the 22-year-old exemptions into the 2027 Masters, The Open Championship, and U.S. Open.

Whaley is currently a senior at Florida State University (FSU), but retains an additional year of eligibility.

Should he exercise that option, he will join forces with the son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods on the Seminoles' roster.

Woods, 17, verbally committed to FSU last February, ending months of speculation surrounding his collegiate future.

The younger Woods has spent years under a relentless spotlight, competing alongside his father at the annual PNC Championship while steadily climbing the ranks on the junior golf circuit.

"I've met Charlie, and he's a great kid," Whaley told reporters following his victory. "He's very, very talented. 

"I just think that a lot of the media makes it hard for him to be able to just progress.

"I think they need to just leave him alone a little bit and just let him play golf.

"I think at Florida State he'll have the opportunity to do that, and I think it's going to be better for him."

Whaley added: "If I take my extra year, I'm going to do everything I can to bring the best out of him."

Managing media demands and public scrutiny is something the elder Woods understands better than anyone.

Tiger has been under the microscope since he made an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show aged two in 1978 and knows how suffocating the spotlight can be. 

He's also dealt with his fair share of scandals. 

Tiger is currently taking some time away from the sport after he was arrested in March on charges of driving under the influence. 

He has pleaded not guilty but sought treatment overseas, completing a 90-day rehab programme in Switzerland. 

Over the years, the 82-time PGA Tour winner has consistently attempted to insulate his son.

"I just always remind him, 'Just be you,'" Tiger said during the 2024 PNC Championship when discussing his advice to Charlie on handling the spotlight. 

"Charlie is Charlie. Yes, he's my son. He's going to have the last name and he's going to be part of the sport. 

"But I just want him to be himself and just be your own person."

Tiger acknowledged that navigating that glare is even harder in today's hyper-connected environment.

But he expressed pride in how his son has coped so far. "I think he's doing a great job," he added. 

"In this day and age where you have so many different ... everyone is basically media with all the phones. 

"Being constantly filmed and people [just constantly] watching him, that's just part of his generation. 

"And that's part of the world that he has to manoeuvre through.

"I try and do the best job I possibly can as a parent. I'm always here for him. 

"But at the end of the day, I just want him just to be himself and have his own life."