“Leave the kid alone” - Mardy Fish criticizes growing scrutiny over Tiger Woods’ son Charlie after he shoots 16-over-par in pre-qualifying event

Former American tennis player Mardy Fish called out critics of Tiger Woods' son Charlie Woods, who recently competed in his first PGA Tour pre-qualifier.

Charlie competed at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches' pre-qualifier, shot 16-over-par, and failed to earn a spot in the Monday qualifiers. This invited scrutiny from a section of fans but Fish took a stand for the 15-year-old novice golfer.

The American replied to a post on X (formerly Twitter), which carried Woods' numbers at the pre-qualifying event. Some fans questioned the youngster's performance in the tournament.

"Charlie Woods fired a round of 16 over par (86) in the @the_cognizant pre-qualifying event," the tweet read.

Fish urged critics to leave the 15-year-old alone and let him play without over-scrutinizing.

"Leave the kid alone and let him play golf," Mardy Fish wrote quoting the aforementioned tweet.

Last year, the teenager finished tied for 17th in the Boys 14-15 division of the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. Tiger Woods acted as his caddie in the tournament.

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Mardy Fish is an ardent golf fan

Mardy Fish pictured at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions

Mardy Fish is an ardent golf fan himself. He is one of the most prominent celebrity golfers, making him a regular in the Celebrity Golf Circuit. Last year, the American finished runners-up to NBA superstar Stephen Curry at the Lake Tahoe Golf Championship (ACC).

In a conversation with GOLF.com, Fish talked about dealing with nerves while playing in front of big crowds.

"I feel the nerves for sure. I have to find ways to cope with them," Fish said.

The American described golf as a 'crazy' game, where the player has no idea what would happen next.

“Golf is the craziest game. You really have no idea what’s going to happen from one round to another, even from one shot to the next. You could play a terrible front nine and then have the best back nine of your life. You can’t predict what’s coming. So don’t even try,” Fish added.

Fish then compared golf with tennis, saying that the former is a reactive sport while in golf, the players have time to think.

“In tennis, there wasn’t a lot of let up. It was also reactive. In golf, it’s the opposite. You get a ton of time to think, and that can take you places that aren’t good for your mental state. In tennis, I was trained to never let my focus waver. In golf, you’ve got to cut yourself some slack,” he concluded.