Tiger Woods has said he will team up with son Charlie and compete in the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando (Grande Lakes) from December 17-20.
Formerly known as the Father/Son Challenge, the PNC Championship brings together top PGA Tour and LPGA major-winning talent and a family member to compete as a team.
Woods, the 82-time winner on the Tour, will make his tournament debut with Charlie, his 11-year-old son who has already established himself as an accomplished junior golfer in Florida.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be playing with Charlie in our first official tournament together. It’s been great watching him progress as a junior golfer and it will be incredible playing as a team together in the PNC Championship,” Woods said in a statement.
The 44-year-old Woods has been spotted at various junior tournaments acting as Charlie’s caddie. Outside of the odd sighting on social media videos, this will be the first time fans will see the young Woods in action.
This is in direct contrast to the profile the elder Woods had at the same age. Taught by his father Earl, Woods had made numerous appearances on television as a prodigy from as early as age two. Earlier this year, Woods spoke of his son’s game with GOLFTV.
“I’m still winning… for now,” Woods said. “He’s starting to get into it. He’s starting to understand how to play. He’s asking me the right questions. I’ve kept it competitive with his par, so it’s been just an absolute blast to go out there and just be with him. It reminds me so much of me and my dad.”
Asked if Charlie is as good as him, Woods replied, “I don’t know. It depends on how badly he wants it. It’s all on him. I wanted it at a very, very early age. I wanted to compete and play in this game. That’s on him – whether he wants it or not.”
While this year’s tournament will take place without spectators due to COVID-19 related restrictions, fans will still be able to watch on a variety of broadcast media.
The PNC Championship will also feature former FedExCup champion Justin Thomas and his father Mike for the first time. Defending champions Bernhard Langer and his son Jason will also return.
Gary Player, Greg Norman, Lee Janzen, Tom Kite, John Daly, Mark O’Meara, Retief Goosen, Tom Lehman, Padraig Harrington, Lee Trevino, and Vijay Singh are among the many major champions returning to participate.
