Tiger Woods, Son Charlie Thrill Fans with Highlights in 2023 PNC Championship Pro-Am
Ahead of the start of the PNC Championship on Saturday, legendary golfer Tiger Woods took part in the PNC Championship pro-am on Friday, along with his 14-year-old son Charlie Woods.
For the fourth year in a row, Tiger and Charlie are playing in the PNC Championship, which is an annual tournament in which top PGA Tour golfers are paired with a member of their family.
The tourney is a 36-hole affair that begins Saturday, but on Friday, the father-son duo took the course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, and got some practice in before the competition truly begins.
After competing in the Masters earlier this year, Tiger took nearly eight months off to recover from ankle surgery. He made his official return to competitive golf a few weeks ago when he played in the Hero World Challenge, finishing 18th in a 20-player field.
While Woods was far from his dominant self, he made it through the tournament, and he seemed to enter the PNC Championship in a good place physically, as he walked the course Friday despite having the option of using a cart, per Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated.
At one point during Friday’s round, Tiger seemed to indicate that he felt good, as he decided to hit a driver from the fairway:
Charlie took a joking jab at his father when he chose a driver, but many observers on X, formerly known as Twitter, were impressed with the shot:
As has often been the case during their times playing the PNC Championship together, much of the focus from fans was how similar Tiger and Charlie look when they are on the course.
They both have similar mannerisms, and there are even times when their swings look identical, as pointed out by Golf Channel:
Another “like-father, like son” moment occurred on the 17th hole when Charlie drained a birdie putt and walked it in just like Tiger has done so many times throughout his career:
While the PNC Championship has a much more relaxed atmosphere than most golf tournaments, the pro-am portion of the event left even more room for fun and games.
Tiger took advantage by tossing a piece of his chicken tender at Charlie in a typical moment of a dad teasing his son:
In between the shenanigans, Tiger and Charlie got some good work in on the course Friday, and they are amply prepared for this weekend’s tournament.
Tiger and Charlie finished in second place two years ago and tied for eighth last year, so while they have gotten close, they have yet to establish themselves as champions of the PNC Championship.
At 47 years old, Tiger is a 15-time major champion and widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time, but one of the only things he has yet to accomplish is winning a tournament with his son.
With Tiger looking healthy and Charlie continuing to come into his own as a golfer, they should have a solid shot to get the job done on Saturday and Sunday.
