#CringeContent: PGA Tour, Betting Sites Continue To Exploit An 11-Year-Old Boy And Folks Have Seen Enough
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The PGA Tour Instagram page
It’s never good when Instagram commenters are the arbiters of taste and standards. But that’s what is happening as various outlets pad year-end numbers and take bets off of an 11-year-old boy.
The PGA Tour’s 23rd Charlie Woods post in a week has finally started to prompt the inevitable questions about where to draw the line from commenters. Here is the latest post and just one selection of the many comments suggesting the exploitation in the name of activation, views, growing the game or family values.
The PGA Tour’s official account has featured 23 posts on Charlie during and after PNC Challenge week. When they keep showing up 3 days after the final round it’s clear no line will be drawn.
For context: in contending during and winning the Masters, Dustin Johnson was worthy of 21 PGA Tour Instagram. He, however, is a (A) an adult (B) a member of the PGA Tour (C) compensated in multiple ways for the use of his likeness.
Included in the chorus of critics of today’s post was Tour player Dylan Fritelli. The 2019 John Deere Classic winner hopes the “media/people” will respect the young lad and his privacy, even though it’s the PGA Tour social media account still pushing the story as other sites have finally backed off.
And then there are the betting sites.
Christopher Powers reports at GolfDigest.com in a story titled, “You can now bet on Charlie Woods' chances of winning a major, proving we've all lost our minds”:
The website sportsbettingdime.com sent out its Charlie Woods futures odds on Monday morning, proving we've officially lost our minds. According to SBD, Charlie is 825-1 to win a major by the age of 25, this despite not knowing if he even wants to take up a career in professional golf.
And thanks to reader Grillo for this horrifying option from betting site Bovada:
