ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods and his 15-year-old son Charlie had five straight birdies on Saturday’s back nine to shoot a 13-under 59 to advance to the PNC Championship. Tied for the lead.
Woods said he scheduled the surgery – the sixth on his lower back in the past decade – to ensure he could recover in time to compete with his son for a fifth consecutive year.
It’s the first time they’ve shared the lead since the opening round, with former champions Bernard Langer and son Jason and Vijay Singh and son Kass also joining the ranks.
Woods hit a series of good shots, including a short wedge on the par-4 seventh hole, but otherwise downplayed his game by suggesting he still had plenty of rust. It was more about spending 36 holes enjoying a day with his son, a sophomore at Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, at the Ritz-Carlton Club in Orlando.
His daughter Sam caddied for her father for the second year in a row. Sam and Charlie’s mother Eileen were also in the gallery for a family-related tournament.
“We’re trying to make every shot for each other and it’s all ham and eggs,” Woods said. “I thought we did a good job all day long. We supported each other, which was great. Charlie made most of the putts today.”
It helps to be playing in the same group as former British Open champion Justin Leonard and his son Luke, Charlie’s senior and teammate at Benjamin School.
Langer extended his astonishing streak this year at the PGA Tour Champions, winning for 18 consecutive seasons. He and his son birdied eight of the nine holes in the round and had an eagle on the 14th hole.
Singh and his son won the event in 2022, shooting 28 on the back nine.
“There are a lot of teams looking,” Langer said. “This is a tournament that anyone can play, and that’s three or four strokes away from the leader, and that’s most of the course.”
Padraig Harrington with son Paddy and Tom Lehman with son Sean shot 60, 12 under. The brothers looked to be in the lead as they approached the green on the par-5 18th, but it took them four shots to fall away.
The addition of Woods is enough to attract attention.
“It’s great for the tournament and great for them,” Langer said. “It should be fun for the crowd to come out tomorrow and watch everyone compete.”
Woods has not competed since the British Open in July.
The problem for Woods is not to look too far ahead. The father knows this all too well, having tied the record with 82 titles on the PGA Tour. This summer, my son learned that lesson.
Charlie Woods, who qualified for his first U.S. Junior Amateur, arrived in the Oakland Hills but didn’t stay long. He shot 82-80 in each round but did not advance to match play. He also lost Monday’s PGA Tour Cognizant Classic qualifying event and U.S. Open qualifying event.
But he said the U.S. Juniors was his biggest learning moment.
“It’s about focusing on my playing,” Charlie said. “I was so focused on winning and how I was going to play that it kind of seeped into how I was going to win rather than how I was going to play. It built up and led to two really, really bad rounds. But live and learn. To old age.
The father nodded after hearing the answer.
“Study,” Woods said.
The PNC Championship is available to players and their family members who win a major or The Players Championship. Annika Sorenstam is playing with her son and Nelly Korda is playing with her father. Steve Stricker – winner of seven senior majors – is playing with his daughter Izzy, a freshman at Wisconsin.
On the par-5 14th hole, Korda used the fairway metal on the sand to make a dazzling eagle. Korda trailed by four strokes.
