ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — No wonder Tiger Woods jokingly refers to the PNC Championship as his fifth major tournament.
Woods was with his 14-year-old son Charlie on Friday, their ups and downs were eerily similar and the encouraging words came as only Woods could deliver them. They were warming up before the pro match, and were hitting foul shots, when Charlie hit one that was… well, Let Woods He explains.
“We finished it right there. That was bad,” Woods said, repeating the second part with an extra word for emphasis.
Woods felt well enough to reject the golf cart and walk 18 holes in strong winds during practice, which doesn’t mean he’s completely on the mend.
“I felt physically fit to do it,” Woods said. “And walking is better for my back. I just wanted to keep it loose and get on with it, and we have so much going on that it doesn’t really matter.”
Political cartoon
Woods has chosen not to speak to the media, wanting to avoid any inquiries about his place on the PGA Tour’s board while he negotiates business deals with LIV Golf’s Saudi backer – the deadline is in about two weeks – and a private investment group of powerful American companies. Sports team owners.
This is the fourth year Woods has played with Charlie. They finished second two years ago, and while Woods frequently talks about “enjoying it,” having the Willie Park Trophy going to the winners will have its own place among nearly 100 wins around the world.
“Winning majors is unbelievable and how he won his majors,” Justin Thomas said. “But seeing how much he cares about Charlie and having (daughter) Sam here doing that with Charlie watching him grow up, it would be a very different win, one that probably doesn’t come with the record.” Books and history.”
He’s not the little crumb snatcher — a term used affectionately by Woods’ father — who first played in the PNC Championship in 2020 as an 11-year-old. He’s longer and stronger, with more speed in his swing and a lot of pop.
A set of tees were rolled back for Charlie, just one in front of his father. He will play at the 6,576-yard Ritz-Carlton Club, the same set of tees used by the LPGA Tour’s Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and Nelly Korda.
“I can’t give him any more briefs because he almost hit me,” Thomas said. “It’s impressive from a golfer’s point of view because he’s still 14 years old but he’s mature in terms of his golf game, he’s more willing to learn and he’s open to it at all times.
“I’m glad he keeps moving the tee markers back. He’s leading the tournament by a big inch.”
He has a very good mentor in his father, even at this stage of his career.
The PNC Championship, which begins Friday, is only the fourth competition this year for Woods. He made the cut but did not finish the third round of the Masters, then underwent ankle fusion surgery shortly thereafter.
Woods returned sooner than expected at the World Champion Challenge in the Bahamas two weeks ago. He finished 18th in the 20-player field, and it was fair to guess that he was using that to warm up for the big tournament – the PNC Championship.
“I was able to take a lot of rust off the champion,” Woods said. “I felt better in my hand with the control of the shots. Especially today, with the wind blowing strong, I was able to hit volleys pretty well, which weren’t quite as sharp as I wanted them to be on the Hero.
The biggest concern is the weather. The winds were enough to shake trees and rain is expected over the next two days. Start times have been moved up. Everyone will be in a cart, powered by PGA Tour champions.
Woods groomed his son — one of those events is what gave him the green light to play in the Bahamas — and watched him develop. He teaches him how to determine how to hit shots, and the kid seems curious.
“And sometimes he doesn’t see it the way I saw it, which is fun,” Woods said.
Part of that relationship is giving Charlie space to figure out himself, his golf game and his life, though Woods said he also provides what he called “guardrails.”
“There’s so much noise in our lives that people are always trying to take things out of us, and my job as a parent is to protect him from a lot of that stuff,” Woods said. “Then again, as a teenager, I want him to try to become his own man at the same time. So, providing that atmosphere for him is a challenge as a parent, to learn and grow and have that freedom, and at the same time understand that there is a lot of noise in our lives.”
Woods said it was different for him at that age, mainly because there were no phones and cameras at every turn, and no social media.
On the subject of phones one of my pet peeves came up.
“I don’t like the fact that he’s staring at his phone all the time,” Woods said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
One of the most anticipated events in golf is the upcoming PNC Championship, and fans are in for a treat as Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, are set to compete together once again. This father-son duo made waves last year with their impressive performance, and now they have another shot at the title. Tiger Woods has even jokingly referred to the PNC Championship as the “Fifth Major,” showcasing the level of competition and excitement surrounding the event. As fans eagerly await their return to the course, all eyes will be on the Woods duo as they aim to make their mark once again.