Tiger Woods shared that he and his son Charlie are drawing on their competitive spirit as they gear up to play together at the PNC Championship in Florida. This marks their fourth appearance as a father-son duo in the annual Orlando tournament, where major-winning golfers team up with family members.
Tiger Woods recently made a comeback at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, marking his first competitive outing in nearly eight months after undergoing ankle surgery earlier in the year.
In the upcoming PNC Championship, Woods and 14-year-old Charlie will tee off at 8:22 am ET, joined by two-time major winner Justin Thomas and his father, Mike.
Speaking to NBC ahead of the event, Woods expressed the enjoyment they derive from their competitive nature, pushing each other to improve. He described the atmosphere as fun, light, and enjoyable.
The father-son duo showcased their similar golf swing and mannerisms during their practice at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club on Friday.
Charlie has grown four inches in the past year, according to Woods, a stark physical comparison to the 11-year-old boy who first appeared at this event three years ago.
“I can’t quite give him as much grief anymore because he’s getting close to being able to beat me up,” Justin Thomas quipped with reporters.
Rain is expected to affect this year’s PNC Championship, though the weather won’t be the only hurdle that players have to overcome; they also have to learn to play effectively alongside a family member.
One example of that was an exasperated Charlie saying “you gotta be kidding me” when his father opted to hit a driver off the deck during Friday’s practice.
“It’s up to the parent to provide the right timing and the right environment for a learning process,” Woods said about honing his relationship with Charlie on the golf course. “He doesn’t always listen and I don’t always give in, either.
“It makes for challenging times at times, but it’s part of the process. We’re both learning and we’re both growing at the same time.”
Injuries and the physical repercussions of a car crash in 2021 have forced Woods to take time away from golf in recent years. As he steps up his return to the sport, he has said that he aims to play in one tournament per month next year.
