Golf: Team Thomas lead PNC Championship with Woods duo in pursuit
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Tiger Woods and his son Charlie celebrate during the first round of the PNC Championship on Dec 17 in Orlando, Florida.
PHOTO: AFP
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MIAMI – Tiger Woods and son Charlie, trying to improve on their 2021 runner-up finish, were chasing Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, in the PNC Championship family golf tournament on Saturday.
The Thomases, who won the light-hearted 36-hole scramble at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida, in 2020, were atop the leaderboard after combining for two eagles and 11 birdies in a 15-under 57.
The Woods pairing shared second on 13-under with former Masters champion Vijay Singh and his son, Qass.
As it has been since they made their debut in 2020, the spotlight was on the Woods duo, with 15-time Major champion Tiger nursing a foot injury and 13-year-old Charlie limping slightly on an “iffy” ankle.
Neither was deterred, and after a birdie at the second hole, they caught fire with eight holes of birdie or better from the fourth to the 11th.
That included Tiger chipping in for eagle at the par-five fifth hole.
They added another pair of birdies at No. 13 and 14 before Charlie rolled in a birdie putt at the last for their share of second.
“We had a blast slaying it today,” Tiger said.
“All day we were after it, and we didn’t get off to a great start but we made some birdies, an eagle and got rolling and really got into it, which was awesome.”
“It was very similar to the feeling we had last year on Sunday,” he added. “We just got rolling. I had a little bit of a chip-in and all of a sudden a couple putts fell, and we were just trying to give ourselves as many opportunities getting in the fairway, iron shots and putts, and we just got rolling.”
Playing alongside good family friends Justin and Mike made for plenty of laughter and quite a bit of needling, with Tiger acknowledging that their friendly rivalry made for extra motivation.
“Absolutely,” he said. “They got the belt (awarded as trophy) a couple of years ago. They rubbed it in our face over Christmas dinner.
“They are in a great position to possibly do it again on Christmas dinner, but we are going to have a little something to say about that.”
Tiger, who turns 47 on Dec 30, has played only nine competitive rounds in 2022 as he recovered from severe leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash.
The plantar fasciitis that flared up in his right foot has complicated his preparations for 2023, and he said he still cannot predict a schedule although he hopes to play all four Majors. AFP
