When Charlie Woods was advised to not be like Tiger Woods by a 15-time PGA Tour winner

Charlie Woods is playing amateur golf and hopes to one day make it to the PGA Tour like his father, Tiger Woods. He's played in some high-level events but is still several years away from turning pro if he's good enough by that time.

The inevitable comparisons to his father have been and will continue to be inevitable. But in 2020, one of his father's counterparts advised him to ignore those comparisons and play his game, not his father's.

Justin Thomas, a long-time friend of Woods, said via ESPN almost five years ago:

"I would love to see [Charlie] play well, I'd love to see him hold his own, but at the same time he's only 11 years old, he doesn't need to be compared to Tiger. He doesn't need to be compared to anybody. He just needs to enjoy the game.''

Charlie Woods was 11 at the time, something Thomas had to occasionally remind himself of:

"I need to remind myself that I need to watch what I say. They are very similar. Who wouldn't want to be like your dad if your dad was Tiger Woods? He definitely has all the mannerisms. I'll be his second-biggest supporter out there after Tiger.''

Charlie does a lot like his father, and Thomas could see even then the similarities in their game. But he stressed that he doesn't want the young golfer to feel pressure to be like Woods, because almost no one in golf history has been like him.

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Tiger Woods once discussed what playing golf with son Charlie means to him

In 2020, while making their soon-to-be annual PNC Championship trip, Tiger Woods got the chance to discuss what playing golf with his son means to the legendary golfer.

Tiger Woods and his son Charlie (Image via Getty)

Woods said it's "so much fun" to watch his son enjoy the game. Via ESPN, he added:

"That's the whole idea. Enjoy hitting shots and creating those shots. It's so cool for me to see him enjoy the sport and feeling the shots and hitting it as solid as he is hitting it.''

Woods noted that his father never pushed him to play golf or do anything. He could've done whatever sports he wanted, but he ended up doing golf and he's glad that Charlie Woods has chosen, of his own volition, to take it up with him.

Tiger Woods added:

"It's all about him enjoying his moments. That's what we were doing. And having these bonding moments. As long as he does that, I'm happy for him.''

Four and a half years later, Tiger Woods' son is still playing golf and still working to get better, so it appears that he has elected to do his best to follow in his father's footsteps.