No champions’ belts, but at PNC, Team Woods grateful for family experience

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tiger and Charlie Woods did – and didn’t – leave Orlando with what they had come for at the PNC Championship on Sunday at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

Did they win? No, they did not ... and we all know how the family patriarch feels about that. Team Langer – the ageless Bernhard and his younger son, Jason – took home the champions’ oversized Willie Park belts. Bernhard Langer now has five of those, with two sons (three with Jason, who played college golf at Penn). Considering Langer is only 66, the 46-time PGA TOUR Champions winner may win a couple more yet.

On a challenging day when early, light rains cleared out and wind gusts exceeded 30 mph, Tiger Woods and his son Charlie, who turns 15 in February, played quite nicely, ham-and-egging their way to an 11-under 61, three shots better than their opening-round effort. Team Woods tied for fifth, finishing 36 holes at 19-under 125, six shots behind the winners.

Mostly, Team Woods was at the PNC to enjoy a great family week, with golf and dinners and lots of quality time. Tiger and Charlie were competing in the event for a fourth time, and for the first time, Tiger’s daughter, Sam, was on Tiger’s bag. She seemed to have a good time and started to get the hang of this golf thing at which her famous dad and younger brother are pretty adept.

“Is that any good?” she asked Tiger after he piped a drive at the par-4 sixth.

There were some great moments that will be fun to revisit over the holidays. Tiger poured in an eagle putt up the hill at the par-5 fifth, Charlie hit driver onto the green at the 349-yard seventh, and Charlie then produced the team’s shot of the weekend at the par-4 ninth. After a good drive in the scramble format, Charlie missed the green, leaving Dad to give them a birdie look.

However, trying to work a low cut to a back-right hole location, Tiger pulled the shot left of the putting surface. From about 60 feet, Charlie hit a low running chip up the hill that gently turned right, kissed the flagstick and dropped for birdie. The shot touched off a great celebration, with greenside gallery cheering and Charlie boldly thrusting his right hand in the air, right index finger raised. Tiger just stood there, wedge in hand, watching and laughing. And laughing some more.

He drank up every second of the moment.

To add to the scene, Team Stricker – PGA TOUR Champions standout Steve and his younger daughter, Izzi – nearly chipped in on top of Team Woods, both Strickers giving it a strong run, their golf balls flirting with the hole.

“I was on the high side (of the hole), so I got a chance to see it from about 10, 12 feet out, and it looked great from where I was,” Tiger said of Charlie’s effort. “... He got excited, and I looked over to Stricks (Steve Stricker), and he was shaking his head. It was great.

“And then to see Izzi almost hole it right on top of him, ... it was a great family atmosphere at that one little hole.”

Bigger picture, Tiger Woods was out playing golf again, and that is always a plus. Paired with the Hero World Challenge, his own event in the Bahamas, that makes two starts in three weeks. He is training, fit, swinging the driver freely, hitting quality shots, and – best yet – walking the golf course relatively pain-free. It had been a while.

On Saturday, players were required to ride in carts to speed up play and get the round in with heavy rains approaching. But on Friday (in the pro-am) and on Sunday, Woods played without a cart, walking the golf course on his newly fused right ankle.

Woods will be 48 on Dec. 30. His ankle and fused back may be improved, but there are plenty of parts of him that still hurt. After the Hero, he was back in the gym in the next morning. It didn’t seem that there would be any complications with recovery following this week, either.

Given that, Woods has reason to have optimism as he looks toward 2024. In a perfect world, he would like to play a limited schedule, perhaps making one start each month.

He owns 82 PGA TOUR victories, 15 of them major championships, and he played only 10 rounds (that includes the PNC) in 2023. Dare golf fans dream? Can Woods win again?

“Well, I think that given the fact that if I'm able to practice and do the things that I know I can do, and prepare, I know that I can still do it,” Tiger said. “I can still hit the golf ball. It's just a matter of prepping, and get enough reps in, and get enough work in and being right physically, and endurance capability of it. I haven't had the leg good enough where I've been able to compete and play a lot of rounds. I've had a lot of procedures over the years, and that's just part of it.

“I know if I can practice, I know I can still do it,” he added. “I can still hit the golf ball. I can still chip. I can still putt. Granted, it's also putting it all together for 72 holes. That's the challenging part of it.”

Since rolling his vehicle over an embankment in Los Angeles in 2021, severely injuring his right leg, the most challenging part for Woods has been just walking the golf course. He labored some late in his rounds, but he appeared pretty good at the PNC. Removed from day-to-day pain, he can go play golf again.

This weekend at the Ritz, Team Woods didn’t win, but that didn’t seem to matter. Tiger thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Asked his favorite memory from this edition of the PNC, Woods responded, “The whole week, to be able to share it with my family.”

Sounds like a win.

Tiger and Charlie never contended Sunday, but they did steadily move up the leaderboard with moments of brilliance and solid play. Their 61 matched the second-lowest score of the final round. Charlie provided the biggest highlights by driving the seventh green and chipping in at No. 9, a shot that elicited a familiar fist pump that drew a smile from his father’s face. Tiger and Charlie closed the tournament with a 30 on the final nine, their lowest nine-hole score of the week.

Read below for a hole-by-hole recap of Tiger and Charlie's round on Sunday:

4:10 p.m. ET

An easy birdie on the par-5 18th gives Tiger and Charlie a 61 on Sunday that matches the Duvals for the low round posted thus far Sunday (the Langers were 13 under through 16 when the Woodses finished). Team Woods was T5 when they walked off the course, finishing with a 19-under 125 total (64-61).

3:38 p.m. ET

On the par-3 17th, Team Woods takes Tiger's tee shot, which sailed about 30 feet past the hole. Charlie's birdie putt burned the edge, and Tiger could not convert either. They're 10 under for the day and will go to the par-5 18th hole in a tie for sixth.

3:29 p.m. ET

Team Woods is making a move on the back nine. They’re now T6 after a fourth consecutive birdie, and their fifth in seven holes on the back nine.

After Charlie provided the front nine highlights by driving the seventh green and chipping in on No. 9, Tiger has made several solid contributions on the back. At No. 16, it was a flighted wedge shot that came to rest a couple feet under the hole. A birdie-eagle finish would give Tiger and Charlie a 59 in the scramble format.

3:15 p.m. ET

A little breaking news in the PNC Championship broadcast. No, not the third consecutive birdie for Team Woods, though that also happened at the 15th hole. Team Woods is now 9 under for the day and in eighth place.

Kevin Kisner will join NBC as an analyst for The Sentry and the WM Phoenix Open. Kisner has never been one to shy away from sharing his opinions, so he’ll likely be a good fit for this role. Kisner is coming off a difficult 2023 that saw him struggle with his game.

“I have always found Kevin to be very forthright, honest, and fearless when sharing his thoughts and opinions about the game, whether it’s in a conversation on the driving range or during his pre- and post-round press conferences,” said Tommy Roy, lead producer for NBC Sports’ golf coverage.

2:59 p.m. ET

Another par-5 is another birdie for Team Woods. Tiger was first to attempt their second shot, trying to hit a cutting fairway wood around the trees and onto the green. The shot doesn’t move enough, though and ends up in the water. Did Charlie play it safe after seeing that ball go in the penalty area? Not exactly. He didn’t club down to an iron but instead stuck with the fairway wood in his hand, hitting a high cut into a greenside bunker.

The bunker shot was about 40 yards, and as he did on the drivable par-4 seventh yesterday, Charlie showcased an incredible bunker game. Charlie hit a high spinner that checked a foot from the hole. With a free run at it, Tiger almost spun his attempt from the sand back into the hole.

While Charlie was surveying his hand shot, Notah Begay offered some insight into how Tiger is teaching Charlie to prepare for each shot.

“Tiger’s always trying to teach Charlie how to take into consideration the elements of each shot,” Begay said. “What kind of wind are you looking at? What kind of shot shape are you looking at? What kind of trajectory?

“Tiger goes through an entire checklist of those types of items when he evaluates what club to choose and what shot shape to hit. Charlie is getting there. He still relies on a handful of different shots but he’s really come a long way in being able to hit a variety of different shots.”

2:38 p.m. ET

Boom. After two straight pars, another birdie for Team Woods. They had to hit their approach out of their rough for the first time all week, but Tiger wedged to about 8 feet and then made the putt after Charlie’s vicious lip-out.

They’re 7 under for the day and moving up the leaderboard, but the Langers are proving impossible to catch. They’ve now birdied 10 of their first 11 holes.

2:05 p.m. ET

Charlie’s tee shot on No. 11 met dad’s approval. “Wow, that was smashed,” Tiger said to Charlie after impact.

Tiger then hit a nifty wedge shot about 8 feet below the hole. They both missed, though. A victory seems unlikely at this point. They’re six behind the Langers, who shot 8-under 28 on the front nine.

Tiger and Charlie are 6-under par for the day and only two shots out of a tie for third.

1:50 p.m. ET

One hole after Charlie’s chip-in, Tiger carried the team to another birdie at the 10th hole. Charlie, riding high off his incredible shot at No. 9, drove into the penalty area. Tiger found the fairway and then hit a 50-yard wedge shot within a couple feet. It came after Charlie struggled with the same approach, hitting it well past the hole. Notah Begay has noted this week that Charlie is still working on shallowing out his downswing on these touchy wedge shots. He still has a tendency to get too steep on those shots.

Charlie made the short birdie putt, but Tiger and Charlie are still five back of the red-hot Langers.

1:28 p.m. ET

Tiger and Charlie were in trouble, but all it did was set the stage for another incredible shot from Charlie Woods.

For the first time all week, both Tiger and Charlie missed the green on the same hole. From the fringe just left of the green, Charlie executed a perfect chip shot that landed on the green and rolled in like a putt. Charlie gave the family’s trademark fist pump and all his dad could do was smile and laugh.

Charlie's caddie, high school teammate Luke Wise, missed the chip-in after an ill-timed bathroom break. When Wise returned, he looked at Charlie and smiled. "I heard it," Wise said.

The birdie gave Tiger and Charlie a 5-under 31 on the front nine. They’ll go to the back nine six behind the Langers, who have started the day with seven consecutive birdies.

Charlie’s performance is especially important because as Notah Begay noted at the start of the hole, Tiger seems to be fighting his swing. Tiger is “not as fluid as he was tee-to-green yesterday,” Begay said.

Tiger has said that he hopes to compete as often as once a month next year, and even though he is walking much better than before this year’s surgery on his ankle, Tiger is still “day to day,” according to Begay.

Begay also expounds on the conditions. Sunday is cold and windy after the front that caused Saturday’s rain moved through. Begay estimates the wind is blowing 25-30 mph.

1:06 p.m. ET

Charlie’s tee shot at the par-3 eighth hole impressed Notah Begay. Teeing off just 10 yards ahead of the pros, Charlie hit his shot much closer than either Tiger or Steve Stricker. The team was not able to capitalize on the 20-foot uphill attempt, however.

“I can’t tell you how nice that iron shot was that Charlie hit in there,” Begay said. “That was a very difficult shot. You saw Stricker struggle with that shot. Tiger did not get it close. From only about 10-12 yards closer to the hole, Charlie hit a beautiful shot right under the hole here.”

Tiger and Charlie are six back of the Langers, who have started Sunday with six consecutive birdies.

12:52 p.m. ET

Another two-putt, but this one is for birdie. It’s safe to say that Charlie’s driver has been the team’s MVC (most valuable club). He’s consistently driven it in the fairway, giving the team plenty of birdie opportunities. Like his dad, Charlie is using TaylorMade’s yet-to-be-released Qi10 LS that went on the USGA’s list of conforming clubs earlier this month.

Charlie wowed yesterday at the 13th, when he carried his tee shot onto the green to set up an easy two-putt birdie from the back fringe. This time, Charlie’s tee shot came to rest on the green of a par-4. Charlie waited for the green to clear before, with Steve Stricker looking on intently, driving the green at the par-4 seventh.

There was still some work to be done for Tiger and Charlie to two-putt from 75 feet. Tiger had to make a 7-footer for birdie after Charlie had missed the attempt. Team Woods is now 4 under for the day and five back of the Langers.

12:36 p.m. ET

The sun is out! Tiger hit it to about 15 feet on the sixth hole but it’s another par for the team, their fourth in their first six holes. Tiger and Charlie are five behind the new leaders, the Langers, who are one shot ahead of the Duvals, Singhs and Kuchars.

12:17 p.m. ET

Eagle alert! A 3 at the par-5 fifth hole moves Tiger and Charlie to 11-under par and four off the lead.

They used an interesting strategy to secure their first eagle of the week. Both Tiger and Charlie hit the green from about 185 yards, but they decided to take Tiger’s shot even though it was slightly farther from the hole. Why? Tiger’s approach left the team with an uphill eagle putt. After Charlie missed the putt, Tiger poured it in.

As mentioned on the broadcast, Tiger and Charlie once rolled off a record 11 consecutive birdies in this event. Could we see a similar charge this year? Tiger and Charlie are now 3 under after five holes.

11:53 a.m. ET

After Tiger missed the green, Charlie hit it to 30 feet on the 164-yard, par-3 fourth hole. Another two-putt par for the team, which is 1-under par for the day and 9-under total.

While discussing the Woods’ performance on the green, announcer Peter Jacobsen mentions an insightful quote that Charlie gave yesterday about their putting. He said that Tiger “hooks” his putts, and that caused his reads for Charlie to be too far right. It showed great insight from the 14-year-old Charlie.

“For Dad as a caddie, his reads are hook-bias, and I don't hook as much as he does,” Charlie said. “So all of my putts, I miss right. So I have to account for that.”

11:41 a.m. ET

Another good drive from Charlie left the team with just 190 yards into the par-5 third and they elected to use Charlie’s approach after he hit it to about 30 feet. Another two-putt but this one is for birdie to get the team its first birdie of the day.

A ho-hum hole. The most interesting part was the broadcast breaking down Tiger’s arrival at the course with daughter Sam at his side. NBC’s Dan Hicks points out that Tiger quotes the movie "Top Gun" to his daughter as they walk through the parking lot with several cameras pointed at them

“Just a walk in the park, Kazansky,” Tiger says to his daughter.

11:23 a.m. ET

Tiger split the fairway with his tee shot at No. 2 but the hole is another two-putt par after the team had 25 feet for birdie.

11:05 a.m. ET

The good driving continues. Tiger and Charlie both hit the first fairway. After Tiger missed the green, Charlie hit his approach about 20 feet from the hole and onto the fringe. But, like yesterday, it’s another two-putt par. They remain at 8-under par, seven off the lead and ahead of only three teams.