MIAMI, Dec 19, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Charlie Woods wowed his 15-time major
champion father Tiger with an impressive eagle for Team Woods in the PNC
Championship family tournament in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday.
Charlie, 11, put his drive in the fairway at the par-five third hole of
the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, then hooked a five-wood approach around some
trees.
The ball bounced short of the green and settled three feet from the pin,
Charlie giving a fist-pump just like his old man’s before rolling in the
putt.
A beaming Woods had a hug for his son, noting as they walked off the green
“First eagle!”
Charlie, whose swing, so reminiscent of his famous father’s, has drawn
comment this week, drained another birdie putt in the first-round scramble
format, following the ball as it rolled toward the cup and in at the ninth.
At the 13th, Charlie struck a sweet tee shot and signaled to his father —
playing off the tournament tees further back — that he didn’t even need to
hit a tee ball.
“It was some of the most incredible golf shots,” Woods said with a laugh.
“He had the best time to be out there in this environment. I’ve seen this all
along. A lot of the shots he hit I’ve seen this entire year.”
The Woods duo got off to a hot start, with six birdies and an eagle on the
front nine.
They combined for a 10-under 62 that left them sharing sixth, four shots
behind Matt Kuchar and son Cameron.
Vijay Singh and son Qass were in second, two shots adrift, with Australian
Greg Norman and son Greg Jr. another shot back and tied with Tom and Sean
Lehman and David and Brady Duval.
The two-day exhibition tournament features 20 teams of major champions
paired with a family member.
Charlie Woods is the youngest competitor to take part, and Tiger Woods has
stressed all week that the main aim was to have fun with his son.
“I really don’t care about my game. I’m just making sure that Charlie has
the time of his life and he’s doing that,” Woods said. “I’m making sure he is
able to enjoy all of this.”
The duo played alongside Woods family friends Justin Thomas and his
father, Mike.
Justin Thomas noted earlier in the week that the young Woods was already
an accomplished trash-talker, and he trolled team Thomas with a note when
they were in a bunker.
“It started in the pro-am. Charlie drove one through the fairway and my
dad was playing in front of them and he’d hit it through the fairway and into
the trees,” Justin Thomas said.
“My dad wrote on a piece of paper ‘draw hole’ on it and put it under his
ball.
“In typical Woods fashion, he kept the piece of paper, and when my dad hit
it in the bunker he put the exact same piece of paper behind his ball.”