Tiger Woods’ goal is to protect his son, 15, from hitting more than 18 holes

ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods turns 49 at the end of the month, and he has one pressing golf-related goal. He wants to prolong the inevitable day when his son beats him over 18 holes.

They’ll be playing with — not against — each other this week for the fifth straight year in the PNC Championship, a 36-hole tournament so important to them and the rest of the field that Woods was determined to play it for the first time. since thumb surgery back in September.

Word got out, however, that 15-year-old Charlie ended up beating his grandmaster father 15 times.

“He hit me nine holes,” Woods said, an explanation that was important to him. “He’s still going to beat me on 18 holes. That day is coming. I’m just taking it as easy as I can.”

As for details, Woods talked about the normal banter between them and how happy they are. It was clear that he would not be able to separate the losses from hole to hole.

Winning is the goal, but not the priority, in the PNC Championship. An exciting end to the year for all 20 teams at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, the event pairs the winners of major prizes or The Players Championship with a family member.

Woods played in five tournaments this year and finished just one, making the Masters cut a record 24th in a row. He had to play 23 holes on Friday at Augusta National in blistering winds, posting a 72 for his best round of the year. He followed that up with 82, which epitomizes the ups and downs of a player whose body has been plagued by injuries.

“I’m not going to feel the way I’m used to,” Woods said. “The recovery has been the hardest part. But over time, weeks, months, it gets harder.”

He missed the cut in the next three majors and had lower back surgery in September to alleviate some of the pain he was experiencing. The timing of the surgery was related to the PNC Championship.

Woods opted out of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas two weeks ago, saying he was not sharp enough to handle Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas among a field of 20 players from the world’s top 40.

This could be his fifth big because he is playing with his son.

“That was one of the reasons why I had the surgery early, to hopefully give myself a good chance to be with Charlie and be able to play,” said Woods. “I don’t have a competition yet, but I want to experience it again. This has always been one of the best things of the year for us as a family, and now we get to have that time together again. .”

The surgery was on his back, but Woods said his right leg, which was damaged in a car accident in February 2021 near Los Angeles, remains a major physical obstacle.

However, he chose to walk on Friday instead of riding in a cart, which is allowed for players because the tournament is sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions.

Team Woods is undefeated since its 2020 debut. The pair finished second the following year by a two-shot to John Daly and his college-age son, when Charlie was 12. He adds inches to his height every year, filling out and pounding. golf ball. Woods plans to rely on his son’s shots in the scramble format.

They will play the opening round on Saturday with Justin Leonard and son Luke, who attends The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach and Charlie and attends Villanova next year.

Charlie Woods qualified for the US Open for the first time this year and failed to get out of the first round. He qualified for the US Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills but didn’t come close to making it into a match.

Woods acknowledges that his son is under the spotlight that few others his age face.

“I always reminded him, ‘Just be yourself.’ “Charlie is Charlie, he’s my son, and it’s going to be part of his backbone,” Woods said.

“I always encourage you to carve your own name, carve your own path and have your own journey,” he said. “I think he’s doing a great job. In this day and age when everyone is a media outlet, with every phone, always being recorded and always watching, that’s part of his generation, and that’s part of the world that he has to do. Keep going.”