Why Charlie Woods is playing a longer set of tees at the PNC

ORLANDO, Fla. – Rest easy, golf universe. There are no plans to “Charlie-proof“ the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in preparation for the arrival of Tiger Woods’ long-hitting son at this week’s PNC Championship, which begins on Saturday.

Charlie Woods, 13, will be moving back one set of tees, but that’s just a matter of age. Charlie turned 13 since last year’s event, in which he and his father finished second behind the Dalys, John and John II.

Unless Charlie and his father choose for Charlie to play a longer course – indications are that they will not – Charlie will be teeing it up from roughly 6,500 yards in the parent-child competition. At last year’s PNC, the tees Charlie played from were closer to 6,000 yards.

A variety of tees are in use at the PNC Championship because of the wide disparity in ages and skill levels.

Several reports circulated Wednesday stating that Charlie would be moved back to the second-longest set of tees this week, which play approximately 6,750 yards. That’s just one tee box up from the set used by PGA TOUR professionals age 54 and younger, a group that includes his dad, Tiger. Those players will compete from approximately 7,100 yards.

Charlie was briefly listed in the group of players who would compete from the second-longest set of tees, but with an asterisk next to his name that signified that he had been moved at the discretion of the Tournament Committee.

As always, the Tournament Committee reserves the right to make adjustments as deemed necessary, but Joe Terry, this week’s advance official and Chief Referee for the PGA TOUR, said he wasn’t going to "penalize" young Charlie just because he hits a golf ball a long way. (Tiger admitted at The Match last week that Charlie has outdriven him at home.)

“Age is age, and it’s always constant,” said Terry, who is in his 25th year at the PNC, a 20-team event of pros and amateurs that utilizes four different sets of tees, all according to age. For instance, there are only three players in the field who will compete from the most-forward Grand Masters tees, set up at 5,643 yards: Gary Player and Lee Trevino (both in their 80s) and 11-year-old Will McGee, son of Annika Sorenstam, who is playing for the first time. McGee is the youngest player in this week’s field.

“We have always done everything by age,” Terry said. “If we changed it to get Charlie to play from further back, we would do so only at the request or the wishes of Charlie or Tiger. (Terry added that historically, Tiger always has been committed to following age guidelines.) Every other 13-year-old has played from the 13-year-old tees, so if we win, when we win, the record can stand as a 13-year-old.”

Charlie Woods will be playing from the same tees as the pros ages 65-72 (Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Nick Price, Nick Faldo), club professional Mike Thomas (Justin’s dad), Petr Korda (Nelly’s dad), amateur Carson Kuchar (son of Matt). Annika Sorenstam, one of two LPGA players in the field, also will play from those tees. Should Charlie and Tiger return in 2023, Charlie again would move back one set of tees.

Terry said he listened to suggestions that Charlie needs to play a longer course because he hits it far, but he said, “I’m not going to arbitrate that. Age is age. If I moved him (back) because he’s good, then why don’t I move some others because they’re not good? Age is age, and it’s always constant, and if we stick by our tournament regulations, we’ll be fine.”

Tiger and Charlie Woods will play in Saturday’s final grouping, heading off at 12:02 p.m. alongside Justin and Mike Thomas, the 2020 PNC champions.