Golf prodigy related to Tiger Woods had Yankees career and now sets sights on US Open place

They call them the ‘Bronx Bombers’ for a reason.

On June 18, 2026, 156 golfers will make the trip around the Shinnehock Hills Golf Club in the opening round of the US Open.

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Qualifying for the 121st edition of the tournament has already begun, and plenty of stars from other sports have thrown their name into the mix.

Former ATP Tour winner Mardy Fish and CBS announcer Tony Romo are among those hoping to make it into the 156 alongside the current members of the PGA Tour, qualifying works in two rounds.

It begins with local qualifying 18 holes that will take place at 108 sites from April 20-May 18. 

If successful, they will move on to final qualifying, over 36 holes, which is scheduled to be contested at 13 sites from May 18-June 8.

A name who is attempting to make it all the way to New York is former Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks.

Hicks will attempt to qualify on May 11 in Phoenix, Ariz., at Papago Golf Course.

Hicks last played in the MLB in 2024, as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, but appeared in 651 games for the Yankees.

Not a prolific home run hitter, amassing just 109 in his 12-year career, Hicks has certainly proved he can strike the ball a long way on the golf course.

In the celebrity division at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions that took place in January, he was striking the ball at 129mph a long way ahead from the other athletes competing.

But it’s unsurprising that he can do this on a golf course, after all, he was seriously considering pursuing a career in it before he discovered baseball.

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“Aaron was hitting the ball straight, he was hitting it flush, and I really noticed, ‘There’s something there. Aaron’s got a good swing, let’s just see what happens,’ ” His dad, Joe recalled, in an interview with the New York Post.

At eight years-old, Aaron was winning junior golf tournaments, and by 12 he was a golf prodigy, having won numerous tournaments around the region. 

He had a 2 handicap and was, in his father’s words, “like a celebrity’’ in the area because of his prowess.

He instead chose to chase the dream of stepping onto a Major League field, honoring his dad’s wish to become a switch hitter.

Hicks also has some serious familial ties to professional golf. His wife, Cheyenne Woods, has competed in five U.S. Women’s Opens and is the niece of Tiger Woods.

Cheyenne is the daughter of Earl Dennison Woods Jr., Tiger’s half-brother, making her Tiger’s half-niece.

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Woods graduated from Wake Forest University in 2012 and became the sixth African American to compete on the LPGA Tour. 

She won the 2014 Volvik RACV Ladies Masters and was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in March 2025. Her last LPGA appearance came in September 2021.

The golf ties have clearly kept his game sharp. He brings a plus-handicap and serious power to competitive golf events, and should be an intriguing name to watch ahead of as the qualifying rounds draw to a close in late May.

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