The best moments of Tiger and Charlie Woods at PNC and why this event is the coolest

Tiger and his son Charlie Woods may not have won the PNC Championship, but they came awfully close and provided some of the most memorable moments from the tournament.

Vijay Singh and his son Qass hit 59’s on both days of the PNC Championship to finish as the event winners at 26 under. Coming in behind them were last year’s champs John Daly and John Daly II and the Thomas Team of Justin and his dad, Mike, with both teams tying for second with 24 under. Team Woods, featuring golfing legend Tiger alongside his golf protégé son, Charlie finished T8 with Team O’Meara and Team Spieth at 20 under.

The Woods father-son team were even closer to claiming their first PNC, when they trailed just behind the Thomas’s on the first day. Second place is where they ended up last year, behind the Dalys. But asking for Team Woods to improve their chances proved too difficult in a year where Tiger’s recovery from a car accident has taken its toll on the 15-time major champion. Add the fact that his son Charlie was also suffering from his own injury, his ankle, made their prospects even more unlikely. But even their complimenting injuries were utterly endearing.

“Charlie and I, we played great yesterday,” Tiger said, according to Golf Channel. “And today we were both like walking penguins out there. It was all good, though.”

The PNC is one of my favorite sports events of the year. It’s a genuine pleasure to watch so many golf greats playing alongside beloved family members. Like the Thomas’s or the Spieths, you get to see the dads who helped shape the game for their major-winning sons. For the Kordas—Nelly and her famous tennis-playing dad, Petr—you can see how sport talent is passed along to the next generation. For Tiger, who seems like such an aloof golf deity, it’s refreshing to witness him acting like a regular sports dad around son Charlie. But I think my favorite was watching LPGA great, Annika Sorenstam, gush like a proud mom over her son, Will McGee—who, at age 11, was the youngest in the field—not only impressed with his skills, but had a blast teeing it up with his champion mom.

Even cooler? Moments like this, with 87-year-old golfing legend Gary Player—who teamed up with his grandson Jordan Player—posing with Sorenstam’s son, Will in a photo representing the generations that love this game so much.

The PNC Championship has also given us a glimpse of how talented Tiger Woods’ son Charlie is, already a seriously competitive golfer himself—having won his first tournament in 2020—proving how much of a mini-me he is to his 46-year-old father. The golf event in Orlando gave us fascinating moments between the two, including the in-sync time with their putters:

When Tiger Woods was asked about the best part of the week, he answered, “The bonding, by far,” via Golf Channel. “Just to be able to be out there and share this with Charlie and for [caddie] Joey [LaCava], to share it with his son, as well. Joey has been out here for what, 35, 40 years? And to be able to show his son what it feels like to be inside the ropes, you know, he was fantastic with Charlie the three years that we’ve been able to play last year and for us, sharing it with our own family. It just means so much to all of us.”

Getting insight from the best in the game can’t hurt, and certainly showed in the 13-year-old showing off precision skills such as this beauty:

“Playing tournament golf, you’ve got to make a switch on the fly and trust it,” Tiger said earlier in the tournament, according to Golf Digest. “And that’s where I’ve seen the biggest growth when I’ve caddied for him in events or I’ve watched him play.”

Another highlight was seeing the dynamic between the two during an entertaining interview on Saturday:

“We have fun out there. At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. It’s about us having an opportunity to bond,” said Tiger, via Golf Digest. “It’s just an amazing relationship, and it just deepens the bond between father and son. It’s been incredible over the years to be able to share this stage and this atmosphere with him.”

Tiger had plenty to be proud of, with his son clutching an eagle on the final day:

The PNC Championship was also a goodbye to Golf Channel broadcasters Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch, who will be sorely missed.

A golfer’s dream event, the PNC is a testament to the individuals who analyze the game and the generations who represent the present and future greatness of the sport. It gave us cool moments like Tiger’s and Annika’s sons being photographed together. Talk about the progeny of two GOATS:

It also brings together PGA and LPGA members in one tournament, which is something I would like to see a lot more of. Having women and men play together is also great for the sport, where they both can compete on an even playing field. I would like to add that the Kordas placed T5.

This year’s PNC Championship was great fun. I can’t wait for next year’s event.