Tiger and Charlie Woods came tantalizingly close to a dream finish at the PNC Championship in Orlando, falling just short in a playoff against 67-year-old Bernhard Langer and his son Jason.
The father-son duo pushed the tournament to extra holes before the Langers clinched it with a stunning eagle putt on the first playoff hole at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
Tiger Woods
378
199
$120,999,166
But for Team Woods, the scoreboard didn’t tell the whole story.
“For us to have that experience together… that’s what matters,” Tiger said, beaming with pride. “No one really made a mistake out there. We had to earn it.”
The day’s most electric moment came early, when 15-year-old Charlie Woods stepped up to the par-3 fourth hole. With his dad watching intently, Charlie struck a perfect 7-iron from 178 yards out.
The crowd went silent as the ball disappeared behind a mound on the green. Then came the explosion of cheers.
Charlie had just made his first hole-in-one.
“It was awesome having Dad there,” Charlie said with a grin. “Just a perfect 7-iron, little cut in there. Of course, never got to see it go in. So that sucks. But that’s all right.”
The tournament turned into a two-team shootout, with the Woods and Langers trading spectacular shots all day. They combined for 26 birdies, two eagles and that magical ace, finishing tied at 28-under par.
Bernhard Langer, who’s somehow playing some of his best golf at 67, sealed the win with a 15-foot eagle putt in the playoff. It was an impressive comeback for the German legend, who missed much of the year recovering from an Achilles injury.
“It’s incredible, right?” Tiger marveled about Langer’s play. “The driver he hit out of the bunker on 14, that was one of the best shots I’ve ever seen.”
For Tiger, who’s still working his way back from his fifth back surgery in September, the weekend offered promising signs. Though he was careful not to make any bold predictions about his return to regular competition.
“We’ll see,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t like this cold right now, I can tell you that. But hey, it’s training, each and every day.”
Team Woods has shown steady improvement at this event – from seventh place in 2020 to this year’s runner-up finish. And while they didn’t get the storybook ending this time, you can bet they’ll be back next December, hunting for that perfect father-son moment.
“This is all about family,” Tiger said. “This is about bonding and having a great time. And we did that. This is a thrill of a lifetime for us to experience this all together.”
