ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods and 15-year-old son Charlie rattled off five straight birdies on the back nine Saturday for a 13-under 59 in scramble format, giving them a share of the lead in the PNC Championship for the first time since back surgery in September.
Woods said he scheduled the surgery — his sixth on his lower back in the past 10 years — to make sure he recovers in time to play with his son for the fifth straight year.
For the first time they shared the lead after the opening round, joined by two previous champions — Bernhard Langer and son Jason and Vijay Singh and son Qass.
Woods hit a number of good shots, including a wedge to inches on the short par-4 seventh, but otherwise let his game down by suggesting he still has a lot of rust. This was about spending 36 holes in a quick day at the Ritz-Carlton Club Orlando with his son, a sophomore at the Benjamin School in North Palm Beach.
His daughter, Sam, played for her father for the second year in a row. Sam and Charlie’s mother, Elin, was among those in the gallery for the family-friendly competition.
“We’re trying to take every shot out of each other, and the ham-and-egg,” Woods said. “And I think we did that pretty well all day. We picked each other up, which is good. And Charlie made most of the putts today.”
It helped to play on the same team as former British Open champion Justin Leonard and his son, Luke, a senior and Charlie’s teammate at Benjamin School.
Langer extended his impressive record on the PGA Tour Champions this year by winning for the 18th season in a row. He and his son made eight birdies on the middle nine holes, and had an eagle on the 14th hole.
Singh and his son, who won the event in 2022, shot 28 on the back nine.
“There are too many hunting groups,” said Langer. “It’s a game for anyone within three or four shots of the leaders, which is a lot of the field.”
Padraig Harrington and son Paddy, and Tom Lehman and son Sean, were 12-under 60. The Lehmans looked to be in the lead near the green on the par-5 18th, but it took them four shots to get under par. scramble format, takes bogey.
Having Team Woods in the mix is enough to get you attention.
“It’s good for the tournament and it’s exciting for them,” said Langer. “It should be fun for the crowd tomorrow when we go out and watch everyone play.”
Woods has not competed since the British Open in July.
For Team Woods, it’s a matter of not looking too far ahead. Dad knows that all too well with his career record that includes 82 titles on the PGA Tour. The son learned a lesson in that this summer.
Charlie Woods qualified for his first US Junior Amateur, reaching Oakland Hills but not staying long. He shot rounds of 82-80 and failed to equal par. He also failed Monday to qualify for the Cognizant Classic on the PGA Tour and to qualify for the US Open.
But he said the US Junior was his biggest learning moment.
“It’s about focusing on my game,” Charlie said. “I was so focused on winning and playing that it slowly became about how I was going to win instead of how I was going to play the shot. And it built up and that created two very bad rounds. of golf. But live and learn.”
His father listened to the answer and nodded.
“Read,” Woods said.
The PNC Tournament is for players who have won a Major or Players Championship and a family member. Annika Sorenstam plays her son, while Nelly Korda plays her father. Steve Stricker — winner of seven majors — plays with daughter Izzy, a freshman at Wisconsin.
Korda flashed a fairway iron out of the sand on the par-5 14th to set up an eagle. Team Korda was four shots behind.
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