Team Woods is back.
Tiger and Charlie Woods will compete at the PNC Championship for the fourth straight year, they announced Wednesday on NBC’s “TODAY” show. It will mark Tiger Woods’ second start in three weeks, following the Hero World Challenge, Nov. 30-Dec. 3., ending months of speculation regarding when he would return to competition after undergoing ankle surgery in April.
Once Tiger Woods said he would play the Hero – which requires walking 72 holes – it was expected that he would compete at the 36-hole PNC, which allows the use of a cart. It’s also a cherished parent-child competitive environment. Team Woods first competed in 2020, with fans quickly noticing parallel mannerisms between father and son. Their interactions inside the ropes show how much they enjoy the event, as well.
“The bonding … just to be able to be out there and share this with Charlie,” Tiger Woods said last year, “… It just means so much to all of us.”
The PNC Championship will be played Dec. 14-17 at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, two weeks after the Hero World Challenge at Albany, Bahamas.
Tiger Woods did not compete at last year’s Hero World Challenge, withdrawing shortly before the event due to plantar fasciitis. He played through pain at the PNC, aided by a cart – “I can practice; I just can’t walk,” he said that week. He made two TOUR starts this spring, finishing T45 at The Genesis Invitational and making the cut at the Masters before withdrawing during the third round, citing plantar fasciitis. Then he underwent ankle surgery in late April that has competitively sidelined him since. He has ramped up his practice in recent weeks – Stewart Cink said Woods was in “go mode” after chatting with him earlier this month – and Woods’ upcoming return to competition aligns with these indications.
Earlier this month, Tiger Woods caddied for his son at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship, where Charlie Woods finished T17. It has been a busy competitive stretch for Charlie Woods, whose high school team won a Florida state title earlier this month as well.
Team Woods finished seventh at the PNC in 2020, second in 2021 and eighth in 2022. Their closest call came in 2021 with a final-round 57 to finish two back of John Daly and John Daly II. The PNC uses a two-player scramble format, handicapped by tees based on age. Charlie Woods played from approximately 6,000 yards in 2020 and 2021, but last year at age 13 he moved back to the 6,500-yard range (also used by pros ages 65-72). Tiger Woods played from approximately 7,100 yards, the set played by TOUR pros ages 54 and under.
Vijay Singh and son Qass Singh will return to defend their 2022 title. The two previous winning teams, John Daly and John Daly II (2021) and Justin Thomas and father Mike Thomas (2020), have also committed to the event. The field will feature 20 duos overall, including newcomers Steve Stricker and daughter Izzi Stricker.
Source: PGATour.com
