“He’s in heaven. As a parent, that’s all you can ask for,” said Sorenstam.
ORLANDO — Will McGee pumped his fist as his 6-foot birdie putt dropped on the final hole. As the crowd around the 18th erupted, the 11-year-old son of Annika Sorenstam doffed his cap and turned toward the grandstands, beaming with joy.
Fans began to chant “Will! Will! Will!” as he hugged mom, dad and Team Duval. Will then turned toward the crowd one more time and gave a final wave.
He rated his first experience at the PNC Championship a 10 out of 10.
“It was awesome to be inside the ropes with her and to be able to walk down the fairways,” said Will, the youngest player to ever tee it up in this event, which celebrated 25 years this week.
My favorite part of the day so far. Young Will acknowledges the crowd as they chant his name on 18! pic.twitter.com/79mPmIERvC
“It was also incredible with the all the people chanting for me. Thanks to PNC for inviting us.”
Will, who dreams of one day playing golf at Stanford like his good buddy Maverick McNealy, mostly competes in local U.S. Kids Golf events and the Space Coast Tour.
Annika Sorenstam of Sweden embraces her son Will McGee on the 18th during the first round of the 2022 PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 17, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, while his mother competed in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles for the first time in 14 years, Will made headlines when he aced the fifth hole of The Cradle, the par-3 course at Pinehurst. The resort presented Will with a pin flag and an engraved bag tag to commemorate the moment.
As they came up the 18th, mother and son clasped hands and raised them high. Sorenstam, a 10-time major champion, soaked up every second of this opportunity. She got emotional as she talked about what this week has meant to the family.
Husband Mike was on the bag for Will. Sorenstam’s father, Tom, caddied for her, and mom Gunilla rode in the cart. Daughter Ava followed outside the ropes.
“It’s just been a dream come true,” said Sorenstam, “to see him smile in the morning, get out here early, being the first out there putting. He’s in heaven. As a parent, that’s all you can ask for.”
Daly held off on surgery so that he and John II could attempt to defend their title.
ORLANDO – Tiger and Charlie Woods aren’t the only ones hobbled this week at the PNC Championship.
Former two-time major champion John Daly revealed that he is scheduled to have left knee replacement surgery Wednesday. Daly, 56, who has dealt with osteoarthritis, previously had his right knee replaced three years ago.
“It’s tough when you don’t have a follow-through,” Daly told pgatour.com. “I’m basically just trying to stay on one leg. But the adrenaline of playing with my son will get me through.”
Team Daly, the defending champs, just teed off. They’re four shots back.
“So I’ll be out for a while,” he added in a pre-tournament interview. “We’ve got Christmas coming up, so we’ll get to spend some time together.”
Daly held off on surgery so that he and John II, who is redshirting this year at Arkansas, could attempt to defend their title at the PNC Championship. The Dalys edged out Team Woods by a stroke last year.
Daly can relate to the pain that Tiger, who lately has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, is enduring to play.
“It’s no fun when you can’t walk and can’t turn and be able to get out and practice enough and complete, which I can’t do right now really,” Daly said. “I pray for Tiger. I hope his leg holds up and gets fixed because we need him on the Tour. For me, I’ve had probably more surgeries probably than Tiger. They just keep adding up over the last five years. But I get this metal put in this knee, hell, I got more metal than the Bionic Man does.”
While Tiger has been adamant that he won’t petition for use of a cart on the PGA Tour, Daly, who has used a cart in the PGA Championship since 2019, doesn’t think riding in a cart provides an edge. He argued, in fact, that it is a disadvantage.
“I’m not embarrassed to take a cart. It’s not helping my golf game by any means,” Daly said. “I would rather walk and play golf because then you have time to settle down on a good hole or a bad hole and you’re walking instead of just getting in the cart and going up and hitting the shot. It’s actually a big disadvantage. But if I could walk, I’d definitely do it.”
Check out the best moments from Sunday’s final round.
It was a close contest at the Ritz.
Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, entered the final round of the 2022 PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando with a two-shot lead on Sunday after an opening-round 15-under 57 on Saturday. They walked off the course T-2, two shots behind the winners.
Vijay Singh and his son, Qass, shot a 13-under 59 for the second consecutive day to win their first PNC Championship title. The father-son duo have played the annual silly-season event for the last 16 years and finished runner-up in 2006, 2013 and 2020.
Check out the best photos and highlights from the final round of the 2022 PNC Championship in Orlando.
ORLANDO — Tiger Woods and his son Charlie stepped to the mics in the flash area at the PNC Championship and reflexively crossed their arms over their chests. Like so many times on Saturday afternoon, they mirrored each other perfectly.
This marked the first time Charlie, 13, had met with the press in a formal setting, and he handled it with ease, downplaying the ankle injury that had him limping around the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, often looking worse off than his dad.
“Hey, he got a cart,” said Tiger, smiling, “so it was all right.”
The good-natured jabbing is endless between the Woods and Thomas crew. Tiger noted that the ribbing started on Saturday before they even arrived at the golf course. Team Ice Bath, as the Woods’ are aptly called, trail Justin Thomas and his father Mike by two strokes heading into the final round.
The Thomas’ pace the field at 15 under in the two-person scramble format. Team Woods holds a share of second with Vijay Singh and his son Qass.
The Thomas’ won this event in 2020 and didn’t let their friends forget it.
“They rubbed it in our face over Christmas dinner,” said Woods. “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.”
Charlie injured his ankle while working on the range earlier in the week at the PNC, and as he warmed up for the first round, he tried a different shoe on his left foot but ultimately switched back. On several tee shots early in the round, the pain was so bad Charlie doubled-over, grabbing his left ankle. On the par-5 fifth, he fell to the ground after hitting his tee shot, leaving many to wonder how much longer they might play.
Team Woods carried on, however, as they do, and Tiger chipped in for eagle on the fifth to really invigorate the pair. They played an eight-hole stretch in the middle of the round in 9 under.
This is the third appearance in the PNC for Tiger and Charlie. After finishing seventh in their debut, last year Team Woods made 11 consecutive birdies in the final round to shoot 57 and finish runner-up behind John Daly and his son.
“We had a blast slaying it today,” said Tiger.
Tiger’s longtime caddie Joe LaCava is on the bag this week and his son, Joey, is caddying for Charlie. Justin’s mom is caddying for Mike and Jim “Bones” Mackay is working for Justin.
Charlie described the atmosphere of the players and caddies in Saturday’s group as “a big family.” His sister Sam was also in the gallery supporting.
Shortly after Tiger and Charlie stepped off the first tee, they stopped in front of a Golf Channel camera to send a congratulatory message to Charlie’s mom and Tiger’s ex-wife, Elin, who had given birth earlier in the week.
Family is top of mind for everyone in the field this week, and the Woods and Thomas crew will be paired together again for the final round, teeing off at 11:05 a.m. ET.
“You guys are now seeing what we do all the time at home,” said Tiger. We just have fun. We needle each other. We encourage each other. It goes back and forth.
“It’s just an amazing relationship, and it just deepens the bond between father and son. It’s been incredible over the years to be able to share this stage and this atmosphere with him.”
Everything you need to know for the final round of the 2022 PNC Championship.
With professional tours on their holiday hiatus, golf’s silly season rolls on this week with one of the most unique events of the year.
The 2022 PNC Championship wraps up Sunday and features a field full of major champions and their family members. The inaugural PNC Championship began in 1995 and featured 10 men’s major winners with their sons. Since then, the field has grown to include 20 professional golfers playing with a family member in a 36-hole scramble at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.
Justin Thomas and his father, Mike, shot a 15-under 57 in the first round – tied for the second-lowest round in tournament history – and take a two-shot lead into the final round. Vijay Singh and his son, Qass, and are T-2 with Tiger Woods and son, Charlie, at 13 under after each shot 59 on Saturday.
Check out the tee times and pairings for Sunday’s final round below.
Charlie and Tiger look like they’re having a great time
Watching Tiger and Charlie Woods have their father-son bonding time at the PNC Championship has become an annual tradition over the last few years.
Naturally, the two stole the show at this year’s event before they even touched the green. Their arrival had all eyes and all cameras glued to them. And, of course, they did. It’s the greatest golfer of all-time with his son. Who wouldn’t want to watch them?
They teed off at this year’s PNC Championship on Friday. Here are 18 photos of the start of what is almost certain to be a pretty awesome weekend for the two of them.
Get caught up on the PNC Championship with our Saturday recap.
Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, are atop the leaderboard after the first round of the 2022 PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando after an opening 15-under 57.
Two shots behind Team Thomas are Tiger and Charlie Woods, who fired a first-round 59. Tiger chipped in for an eagle and made a few lengthy putts throughout the day.
Vijay Singh and his son, Qass, will be in the penultimate group on Sunday. They’re also at 13 under.
Find a hole-by-hole recap of Team Woods’ day, plus the best photos, best tweets, best shots and more from Saturday at the PNC Championship.
“As long as the people are excited about coming out here and supporting us and supporting all the legends and the people who are in this event, it’s always special.”
ORLANDO – Matt Kuchar stood on the first tee before the final round of the 2021 PNC Championship and beamed with joy as his 15-year-old son Cameron tried to keep from jumping out of his skin at being paired with Tiger Woods and son Charlie.
“My son may be the last of his generation, of his age, to play alongside Tiger Woods,” Kuchar said. “I don’t know many kids younger than 15 that will get to play with Tiger in a competition. It’s pretty cool.”
One year later, Kuchar still marvels at the experience and the broader implications of quality family time.
“Watching Charlie get into the game makes Tiger just look that much more human,” he said. “Seeing the dad side, the pride of watching his son play and play well. Everyone watching at home can relate.”
When Tiger was running roughshod over the competition, capturing 15 majors and 82 PGA Tours titles and owning the No. 1 ranking seemingly in perpetuity, he never really let us in. He was loved and respected for his otherworldly abilities but never beloved in the way that Arnold Palmer was forever approachable. Tiger always kept everyone at arms-length. That changed as he mounted his comeback from back trouble and got more involved in the team room in international team competitions and forged relationships with the likes of Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy. No doubt, Tiger has been humbled, but nothing has humanized Tiger more than simply seeing him be a dad at the PNC Championship.
“It’s the third straight year he’s played (the PNC). Can you name any other tournament that that’s the case? I don’t know if there is one that he’s played in the last three straight years?” Stewart Cink said. “I mean that says a lot about what this tournament means to all of us playing; that Tiger Woods would play here three consecutive years considering what he’s gone through.”
Charlie Woods and Tiger Woods of the United States look on during the pro-am prior to the PNC Championship at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 16, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
All eyes again return to Tiger and Charlie this week at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club for the two-day 36-hole team event that uses a two-person Scramble format.
“The last couple years have been magical. And to be able to do it again, we’re looking forward to it,” Tiger said.
The pent-up demand to see Tiger is evident in a tournament sell out. Grown men dressed in their red golf shirts and black pants and some even showed up in Tiger onesies. As much as there is intrigue over Tiger’s game, this week he takes a backseat to Charlie. He’s the main attraction. Padraig Harrington said it best when asked whether he would be watching Tiger or Charlie: “Charlie. Charlie. Actually, to be honest, definitely Charlie, Charlie, Charlie…I’m more interested in Charlie.”
So is just about everyone else.
“Nothing wrong with that,” Tiger said. “As long as the people are excited about coming out here and supporting us and supporting all the legends and the people who are in this event, it’s always special.”
This is where Charlie made his first eagle while having his coming out party at age 11. He hit a growth spurt, and the change in his body from a year ago is startling. He shot a career-low 68 at a qualifier for the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship in late September and Tiger recently confirmed that Charlie outdrove him but has yet to beat him. Earlier this week, there was some debate over which tee (and distance) he should play – he’ll be two tees up from his dad at 6,405 yards.
“Is Charlie carrying it 260 or 290?” Shawn Spieth wondered. “Everybody wants to know which one it is.”
Harrington praised his swing.
“Most kids who are good at 11, 12, 13 years of age, their swing hasn’t even come close to developing,” Harrington said. “I bet you if you went back and looked at Rory at 12 years of age, he was hitting a big loopy, drop kick [draw] because that’s what kids do. But Charlie has always managed to pressure the golf ball, which is exceptional at that age. It really is.”
Imagine the pressure to follow in giant footsteps. As if we needed a reminder that he’s still a kid, Charlie wore a Snoopy-logoed hat on Friday. Let’s just enjoy that Charlie loves the game. He has got three top-25 finishes this year on the South Florida Junior Tour and shows promise, but please, no comparisons to Tiger, who already was re-writing the record book in junior golf at this age.
On Friday, Charlie looked uncomfortable as if he was fighting his swing. He dropped his club in dramatic fashion repeatedly and tried to mimic different positions for his swing. But at the end of the round, he hugged his father and smiled knowingly that it is the next two days that count. Paired on Saturday with Justin and Mike Thomas, who Tiger referred to as “extended family,” neither Tiger nor Charlie have forgotten that the Thomases showed up to Christmas dinner wearing their champion’s belts in 2020.
“We didn’t like it,” Tiger said.
When asked what it would mean to win a title with his son, Tiger gave a classic non-answer: “Well, we’ve come close. We’ve gotten better each year. So we’re trending.”
In truth he’d already given the most honest reply when answering a different question on whether he feared setting back his recovery by playing this week.
“You know, I don’t really care about that,” Tiger said. “I think being there with and alongside my son is far more important, and get to have a chance to have this experience with him is far better than my foot being a little creaky.”
Spoken like a father who refused to let his son down.
At this point, we know Charlie is essentially a carbon copy of Tiger on the golf course. To this point, he’s done everything just like his dad does it from his celebrations and the way he tips his cap to the way he walks. He just seems like a mini-Tiger.
No matter how much we see it, though, it’s still just totally breathtaking to watch it happen in real-time. Especially when it comes down to their swing.
The PNC Championship Twitter account shared a video of Tiger and Charlie Woods teeing off and, man, it’s wild. Take a look.
They’re so similar here that you’d think it’s two videos of the same person. That’s incredible.
The funny part about this is Charlie isn’t just copying his dad just to do it. He’s doing it with incredible skill, too. In fact, you wonder if Charlie is out-driving Tiger consistently at this point. He already told us Charlie beat him once already a few weeks ago.
The best photos from the family weekend in Orlando.
One of the coolest events of the year is here.
The PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando is set to feature 20 teams, each with a legend of the game and a family member. To be eligible for the field, the professional needs either a major championship or Players championship on their resume.
The 36-hole event tees off on Saturday and will finish Sunday afternoon.
Tiger Woods is once again in the field playing with his 13-year-old son, Charlie, as the pair is looking to improve on its runner-up finish from last season. The Woods’ will play with Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, in the first round.
Check out some of the best photos from the family event in Orlando.
