ORLANDO — For Tiger Woods, the PNC Championship is more about family time than working on his game. And while there will some of that the next three days, the 15-time major champion will cherish the time with his son, Charlie, and daughter, Sam, as much as the competition.
“Playing together is something we look forward to and it’s always more special when you’re surrounded by friends and family,” Woods said when announcing he would be back at the PNC for a fifth year playing with 15-year-old Charlie, a sophomore on the Benjamin School golf team.
Tiger’s daughter, Sam, who plays soccer at Benjamin, was his caddie at the PNC last year.
“For me to have both my kids inside the ropes like this and participating and playing and being part of the game of golf like this, it couldn’t have been more special for me,” Tiger, who turns 49 on Dec. 30, said last year.
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Catching up with Tiger and Charlie
Tiger, a Jupiter Island resident, played in five events in 2023, finishing one, the Masters, where he placed 60th. He withdrew from Genesis because of illness and missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and British Open.
He had micro decompression surgery in September and skipped this month’s Hero World Challenge, saying he has “a long way to go” before playing ultra competitive golf.
Charlie, a member of the 2024 Palm Beach Post All-County boys golf team, was ranked No. 11 in the state this season. He shot a 151 at the Class 1A state championship, the 29th best score. He placed sixth at the district meet.
When does Team Woods play
The PNC Championship is a 36-hole event at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club pairing a professional golfer with a family member. Tiger and Charlie will play in Friday’s pro-am, teeing off at 9:40 a.m. from the first tee.
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They will follow LPGA Player of the Year Nelly Korda and her dad, Petr, and tee off just before Annika Sorenstam and her son, 13-year-old Will McGee, and defending champions Bernhard Langer of Boca Raton and his son, Jason Langer.
The pro-am starts at 8 a.m. and is open to the public.
Team Woods plays its first round Saturday at 10:44 a.m. paired with Jupiter’s Justin Leonard and son Luke Leonard, who has committed to Villanova.
How Tiger and Charlie have fared at PNC
This is the fifth year Tiger and Charlie have teamed up at PNC. Their best finish was a runner-up in 2021, two shots behind John Daly and John Daly II.
They tied for sixth last year shooting 19-under, six shots behind the Langers. Tiger and Charlie tied for eighth in 2022 and tied for fifth in 2020.
Who is playing in the PNC
The event features 11 former world No. 1s, seven Ryder Cup captains, 15 Ryder Cup players with 82 appearances, 69 major titles and 11 World Golf Hall of Fame members.
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The teams: Stewart Cink and son Connor; Fred Couples and stepson Hunter Hannemann; John Daly and John II; David Duval and son Brady; Nick Faldo and son Matthew; Padraig Harrington and son Paddy; Trevor Immelman and son Jacob; Nelly Korda and father Petr; Matt Kuchar and son Carson.
Bernhard Langer and Jason; Tom Lehman and son Sean; Justin Leonard and son Luke; Mark O’Meara and son Shaun; Gary Player and grandson Alexander Hall; Nick Price and son Greg; Vijay Singh and son Qass; Annika Sorenstam and son Will McGee; Steve Stricker and daughter Izzi; Lee Trevino and son Daniel; Tiger Woods and son Charlie.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
