ORLANDO, Fla. – The end was simply shy of storybook because of an virtually flawless efficiency from a 67-year-old German who’s growing old like Benjamin Button, however for Staff Woods, all the things concerning the ultimate spherical on the PNC Championship was particular.
Tiger Woods and his 15-year-old son, Charlie, misplaced on the primary additional gap on the Ritz-Carlton Golf Membership to Bernhard Langer and his son Jason, a 24-year-old funding banker, however it wasn’t the close to miss or the frustration of developing brief on the 36-hole scramble that mattered to Staff Woods.
“For us to have that have collectively, I do know we didn’t win, however it was the truth that we competed,” Tiger stated. “Nobody actually made a mistake on the market. We needed to earn it, and that’s what you wish to have. Hats off to Langers. They performed wonderful.”
As is the norm on this occasion, Sunday was a race to a match scoring file, with the Woodses and Langers buying and selling birdies – and eagles – on almost each gap after beginning the ultimate spherical tied for the lead at 13 underneath. However it was Staff Woods that inched forward because of a once-in-a-lifetime second for father and son.
On the 178-yard, par-3 fourth gap, Charlie launched his 7-iron tee shot towards the inexperienced with Tiger carefully watching. There was a pause after the ball landed on the inexperienced and disappeared behind a mound earlier than the group surrounding the placing floor erupted.
“Is that in?” Tiger requested earlier than officers shortly confirmed Charlie had made his first ace in probably the most high-profile of moments – no less than for a high-school sophomore.
“It was superior having Dad there. That was a lot enjoyable,” Charlie stated, smiling. “It was only a good 7-iron, little minimize in there. In fact, by no means acquired to see it go in. In order that sucks. However that’s all proper.”
Tiger echoed these feedback, describing the second as a “thrill of a lifetime to have the ability to have that second with Charlie,” he stated.
Regardless of the theatrics, Staff Langer saved tempo with an eagle on the subsequent gap and matched the lead at 21 underneath with a birdie on the 10th gap. All whole, the 2 groups mixed for 26 birdies, two eagles and a gap in a single and closed out the spherical with matching birdies on the 18th gap tied at 28 underneath. Bernhard Langer gained the sixth playoff in occasion historical past with a 15-foot eagle putt at No. 18 to finish a powerful comeback this season after lacking a lot of the yr recovering from an Achilles tendon damage in February.
“It’s unimaginable, proper?” Tiger stated of Bernhard Langer’s efficiency. “The driving force [Langer] hit out of the bunker on 14, that was among the finest pictures I’ve ever seen.”
The victory would have been the proper ending to what was an in any other case good day, however for Tiger, who has embraced the PNC and its family-first focus whilst his aggressive days seem like waning, it was a purpose to look past the scoreboard for satisfaction.
“That is all about household. That is about bonding and it’s about having a good time and we did that. It is a thrill of a lifetime for us to have the ability to expertise this all collectively,” Tiger stated.
Staff Woods continues to pattern in the suitable course on the PNC after ending seventh in 2020, second in ’21, tied for eighth in ’22 and tied for fifth in ’23. It additionally sends an encouraging message for Woods heading into 2025 following one other misplaced season that included simply 5 official PGA Tour begins and one made minimize, on the Masters, the place he completed 60th, final amongst gamers who completed the weekend at Augusta Nationwide.
Woods had his fifth microdisectomy process on his again in September, and he was predictably imprecise earlier this month when requested if he had a timeline for a doable return to competitors. However his play on the PNC, even for simply 36 holes of scramble golf, was a purpose to be optimistic.
“We’ll see,” Tiger shrugged. “I don’t like this chilly proper now; I can inform you that. However hey, it’s coaching, every day, doing the little issues and preserve progressing, and I’ll preserve progressing ahead into subsequent yr.”
Whereas Tiger’s aggressive future stays shrouded in damage, after two magical days in central Florida, it’s protected to say that Staff Woods will likely be again on the Ritz-Carlton course subsequent yr in search of one other storybook end.
