Tiger Woods is almost retired from golf due to injuries and back pain, and at almost 49 years old, he only has time in his schedule for the majors, the four major tournaments in this sport. But there is one competition he never misses: the father-son tournament, known for some years as the PNC Championship and organized by the PGA of America.
In this tournament Tiger competes with his son Charlie, who at 15 years old has shown to have all the talent of one of the best golfers in history in his genes.
How did Tiger and Charlie Woods do in this year's PNC Championship?
Last weekend, the 2024 version of the tournament was played, which was won by the legendary German Bernhard Langer, 67 years old, who this time played with his 24-year-old son Jason.
The Langers defeated the Woods in the tiebreaker, thanks to an 18-foot eagle putt by Bernhard, who in his glory years donned the green jacket twice as the champion of the Augusta Masters.
The PNC Championship, which is played over two days (36 holes) in a scramble format, has been held since 2012 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. It has a modest prize purse of 1 million dollars.
What was Charlie Woods' great milestone?
Tiger Woods' son made the shot of his life, achieving his first "hole in one."
Charlie used a 7 iron on the par-3 of hole 4 and after his feat, he received a huge hug from his father... and a reminder that he would have to buy a round of drinks for everyone. “I'm broke,” Charlie replied.
Despite the defeat, Charlie said that the "hole in one", the excellent final round, and the playoff were the most fun things that have happened on a golf course.
His father agreed. "That was the most exciting moment of my life, being able to have that moment with Charlie, seeing him make his first hole-in-one, Sam (his daughter) carrying the bag, just our family and friends. That's what this event is about. It's about unity and family," Woods said.
"I know we didn't win, but it was the fact that we competed," Tiger added. "No one really made a mistake there. We had to earn it, and that's what you want to have. My congratulations to the Langers. They played incredibly."
On a cold afternoon, every seat was filled in the grandstand behind the 18th green, with fans in jackets huddled along the fairway. It was entertaining, along with a rare opportunity to see Woods on the golf course as he played for the first time since the September surgery on his lower back. His last competition was The Open in July.
In the 2024 season, Tiger finished 60th at Augusta, but then did not make the cut at the PGA Championship, the US Open, and the British Open.