Golf icon Tiger Woods and his former wife, Elin Nordegren, reunited to support their 17-year-old son, Charlie Woods, as he cemented his commitment to play collegiate golf at Florida State University. The milestone was celebrated with a campus ceremony at The Benjamin School in Florida on November 6, 2026, before the younger Woods publicly confirmed his formal signing on November 11. Charlie, who originally gave his verbal commitment to the Tallahassee program in February 2026, will join the Seminoles for the 2027–28 season alongside top-ranked junior prospect Miles Russell.

The decision marks a distinct collegiate trajectory for Charlie compared to his father, a 15-time major champion who played two years at Stanford University before turning professional, according to Golfweek. Writing on Instagram to mark the occasion, Charlie expressed his enthusiasm for the next step in his athletic career: "Proud to officially be a Seminole. Huge thank you to my family, coaches, and everyone who has helped me get here.

Can’t wait to get started and compete alongside my new teammates."

A Blended Family Celebration

The high school ceremony brought together both sides of Charlie's family in a public show of support. According to E! Online, the 50-year-old PGA Tour star and the 46-year-old former model—who divorced following the golfer's 2009 scandal and also share 19-year-old daughter Sam Woods—both wore Florida State's signature maroon colors to the November 6 event. They were joined at the ceremony by Nordegren's longtime partner, former NFL player Jordan Cameron, and the couple's three young children: Arthur, 7, Zeta, 3, and Freya, 2, who also wore Seminoles merchandise.

The celebratory event at The Benjamin School recognized 15 student-athletes in total, according to The Palm Beach Post.

While several initial accounts from November 6 described the high school gathering as Charlie's official signing, later reporting by Golfweek and Florida Today clarified that the ceremony was a school celebration, and that he formally signed his athletic grant-in-aid agreement during the NCAA early signing period on Wednesday, November 11.

The campus gathering is the latest in a series of joint appearances by his parents throughout his high school athletic career. Both parents were present the previous November when The Benjamin School captured the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A State Championship, and they reunited again in February to watch Charlie receive his championship ring. Just days before the school signing ceremony, on November 2, Charlie helped lead his high school squad to a Florida regional championship victory at Miami Shores Country Club, according to People.

Tiger has frequently spoken about the personal significance of watching his children participate in the sport.

Following a 2023 tournament where he played alongside Charlie with Sam serving as a caddie, he told Golf Channel, "For me to have both of my kids inside the ropes like this, and participating in and playing and being part of the game of golf like this, it couldn’t have been more special for me."

Inside Florida State's Top-Ranked Recruiting Class

In Tallahassee, Charlie will be part of a four-player Class of 2027 under head coach Trey Jones that Golfweek ranked as the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. Charlie has developed into a top-50 player in his class and holds the 21st spot in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) rankings. He will be joined on the roster by Sweden's Edwin Askerfors, Orlando native Kaden Puranik, and Jacksonville Beach standout Miles Russell, who originally committed to the Seminoles in June 2025, according to FSU Wire.

Russell enters collegiate golf as the consensus No. 1 junior player nationally, though his overall global standing varies slightly across recent publications: Golf Channel lists him as the sixth-ranked amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, while separate November 11 reports from Golfweek cite him as the fourth- and fifth-ranked amateur in the world.

Regardless of the specific metric, his junior resume is historic. Earlier in the week of his signing, Russell tied Phil Mickelson's record by capturing his third AJGA Rolex Junior Boys Player of the Year award. He has also won three of the four legs of the modern junior slam, with two victories each at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and the AJGA Junior Players Championship, alongside a runner-up finish at the U.S. Junior Amateur.

When asked about securing the nation's top recruiting class, Jones referenced a classic football quote from former Chicago Bears running back Matt Suhey—who once joked that the greatest running back tandem in history was Walter Payton and any other Bears back—before praising Russell's generational talent. "In my opinion, he’s the best junior golfer since Tiger Woods," Jones said.

What Comes Next for the Seminoles

The incoming freshmen are scheduled to arrive on campus in August 2027 for a Florida State program that finished as the national runner-up to Auburn in 2024.

For Russell, staying in-state was a priority. "The main thing was I was going to stay somewhat close to home, and Tallahassee is under three hours," Russell said. "There is so much upside to Coach Jones, the facilities and Florida State as a school. Looking forward to going in August."

While Russell dismissed the idea of bypassing college entirely, his tenure in Tallahassee could be abbreviated due to his standing in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. He already holds eight points in the system; if he reaches 20 points during his college career, he will become eligible for membership on the PGA Tour's second-tier Challenger Series beginning the following summer.

However, activating a tour card requires turning professional in January at the start of the pro season, right in the middle of the collegiate golf calendar—a path previously taken by players like Jordan Spieth at Texas in 2012 and Ole Miss senior Michael La Sasso earlier this year.

Why do reports differ on Charlie Woods's signing date?

The discrepancy stems from the difference between a ceremonial high school event and the NCAA's official paperwork window. The Benjamin School hosted a campus celebration for 15 student-athletes on Friday, November 6, which was widely photographed and initially reported as his signing. However, Woods formally signed his binding athletic grant-in-aid agreement with Florida State during the official signing period on Wednesday, November 11.

When will Charlie Woods and Miles Russell debut for Florida State?

Both players signed for the Class of 2027 and will complete their final year of high school and junior golf before enrolling at Florida State University in August 2027 for the 2027–28 collegiate season.

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