Tiger Woods is back in action this week at the PNC Championship, partnering his son Charlie in the two-day team contest. Here’s all you need to know about the 15-time major champion’s latest comeback appearance…
What is the event?
The PNC Championship is an annual 36-hole team competition held at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Florida, where 20 professionals tee it up alongside a family member in a unique format.
Only former winners of a major or The Players are eligible to enter a team, with their chosen playing partner – traditionally a son or daughter but occasionally a different relative – unable to hold any playing status on a professional tour.
How does the tournament work?
The 36-hole employs a scramble format for both rounds, where the two players in each team hit their tee shots and then continue playing from the best position.
Each player then plays a second shot from the spot where the selected drive lies and the best shot is selected, with that process repeated until the hole is completed and the lowest score counting.
Why is Tiger playing in it?
It has become an annual tradition for Woods to tee it up in the team event, which he has previously described as his “fifth major”, having partnered his son in every edition since making his debut in the 2020 contest.
The tournament allows players to use golf carts, which is beneficial to Woods and his injury-plagued body, with the opportunity to tee it up alongside his son in a tournament something he relishes every year.
He said “we’ll see” when asked during the Hero World Challenge whether he would feature in the PNC Championship, having not been listed on the official line-up, with Team Woods one of the last pairs added to the field.
Where has Woods played this year?
Woods sat out of the Hero World Challenge earlier this month, saying he “wasn’t tournament sharp” to compete in an event he hosts, but the 48-year-old is now teeing it up for the first time since The Open in July.
How has Team Woods performed before?
Woods and his son – then aged 11 – finished seventh on debut in 2020 as Justin Thomas and his father Mike claimed victory, then were runner-up to John Daly and his son – also called John – a year later.
Tiger Woods and his son Charlie made 11 consecutive birdies during the final round of the 2021 PNC Championship
They registered their lowest finish in the 2022 contest, ending tied-eighth as Vijay Singh and his son Qass ran out winners, before last year saw Team Woods share fifth place and end six strokes behind Bernhard Langer.
What can we expect from
What can we expect from Tiger?
The fact that Woods was not physically ready to compete in a 20-player event in the Bahamas is an indication of where his body and game is at, having previously used the Hero World Challenge as a tune-up event for injury comebacks.
He told reporters ahead of that tournament he felt stronger and more pliable since undergoing his latest surgery, with Woods focused on avoiding any further setbacks and trying to be competitively ready for next season.
The format plays into Woods’ strengths, with the back-up of using Charlie’s shots if things don’t go as planned, while warm winter sunshine in Florida takes less of a physical toll on his body.
Charlie Woods helped dad Tiger on the range ahead of the final round of The Masters at Augusta National
And how good is Charlie?
Woods Jnr, now 15, has impressed during his past PNC Championship appearances and has also shown signs of progress – with his dad watching on – over the past couple of years.
He failed to progress into a PGA Tour qualifying event for the Cognizant Classic earlier this year but followed in his father’s footsteps by securing a spot in the US Junior Amateur over the summer, where he missed the cut.
Tiger Woods’ 15-year-old son Charlie competed in his first PGA Tour qualifying event in the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches
The mannerisms shown on the course between the two are clear to see, along with the talent, but there’s still some time to wait before we’ll know whether he will be good enough – or want to – pursue a professional career.