There were almost too many on-course moments to chose from in golf over the last year.
As the month of December winds down and January approaches, it’s time to look back on 2023 and reward some of the best moments the game of golf provided fans over the last year.
The staff at Golfweek originally had plans for a “Moment of the Year” but there was too much that happened both on and off the course to pick just one, so we’ve split the honor into two different awards.
From the Solheim Cup to the Masters to the PNC Championship and the World Wide Technology Championship, here are the Golfweek staff’s favorite on-course moments of the year in 2023.
The PNC Championship is the highlight of golf’s silly season and the annual hit-and-giggle delivered again in 2023.
ORLANDO — With Paddy Harrington in the midst of college exams back home in Ireland, Ciaran Harrington took his older brother’s place at the 2023 PNC Championship. Six weeks removed from breaking his left leg playing high school rugby, 15-year-old Ciaran joined his father Padraig – in his first competitive round – at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in front of thousands of fans on live television. Ciaran found that he hit his best shots in front of packed grandstands, when he could feel his stomach in his throat.
“You know, it was always going to be a bit of a push to get him ready for this,” said Padraig, “and then when he broke his leg, it was like he’s had 10 days of a crash course in how to play golf. And he’s done brilliant.”
Padraig Harrington pictured with his son Ciaran at the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 14, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
This year’s PNC field featured 11 former world No. 1s, nine World Golf Hall of Fame members and eight Ryder Cup captains. The field of 20 teams – one of the most sought-after invitations in golf – combined for 62 major championship titles.
Lee Trevino, 84, has teed it up in all 26 editions of the event, while 12-year-old Will McGee, the youngest in the field, made his second appearance with mom Annika Sorenstam. McGee cried down most of the 18th hole just thinking about the fact that he’d have to wait a whole year to do this again.
There’s so much to enjoy about the PNC. Pros smile more this week inside the ropes than they do all year. It’s a chance to talk about something other than the weekly grind. In fact, it’s often a pro’s favorite subject: family.
There were seven teenagers in this year’s field, plus 12-year-old Will. Tiger Woods’ son Charlie, of course, generated the most buzz for a fourth consecutive year, but there were plenty of worthy storylines in rain-soaked central Florida.
Cameron Kuchar, 16, has been holding a golf club since he was in diapers and one day dreams of winning the Masters. He plays on the South Florida PGA Junior Medalist Tour with Charlie and Justin Leonard’s son, Luke, who was also in the field.
Steve Stricker, 56, was invited to the PNC for the first time after a rule change was made to allow PGA Tour Champions major winners. He partnered with youngest daughter Izzi, 17, who will follow in the footsteps of her mother Nicki and sister Bobbi on the golf team at Wisconsin beginning in the fall of 2024. Izzi is a two-time state champion and the 2023 Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin State Co-Player of the Year.
Last May, Izzi was inside the ropes with her father when she debuted as his caddie at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, where Steve beat Padraig Harrington in a playoff.
The PNC offered a new twist in that the Strickers strategized together over shots that she’d hit as well.
The Strickers played alongside world No. 1 Nelly Korda on Saturday and Team Woods on Sunday, and Izzi called it the coolest week of her life. When asked if she chatted much with Charlie on Sunday, Izzi said briefly.
“We were both really dialed,” she said. “Not much came out of our mouths.”
The Stricker clan is close and highly competitive. When questioned if his daughters had ever bested him on the golf course, Steve said maybe in a three-hole stretch.
“But if it’s 18 holes,” he continued, “I can honestly say I don’t think either one of them – because I start to grind if it gets close. Then I start talking to them and getting in their ear and trying to throw them off a little bit if that’s going to happen.”
Like Ciaran, golf isn’t even Tanner Furyk’s main sport. The 19-year-old son of Jim Furyk plays lacrosse at The University of the South, where he’s majoring in economics.
To be invited to the PNC, a member of each team must have won at least one major (PGA Tour, LPGA or PGA Tour Champions) or the Players Championship, while the partner must not hold any playing status on a professional tour.
Brady Duval watches his tee shot on the first hole with his father David Duval during the first round of the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
David Duval and his son, Brady, finished runner-up to the Langers this year. It marked a record-tying fifth time that Berhard Langer has won the PNC with one of his sons. Brady calls the PNC by far the best week of the year.
David teaches Brady, a freshman on the golf team at Coastal Carolina, to swing the same way he has all his life.
“It’s all our teacher (Shan LeBaron) now teaches him now, too, and there’s a reason for it,” said David. “Because it makes it easier. You don’t have to pound balls all the time. You don’t have to work on timing. Somebody told him last year – slow down a little bit. The way I tell him to swing a club, if you’re doing it right, speed up. It’s only going to go straighter and further.”
Early in the week at PNC, David asked longtime friend Peter Jacobsen to come over and explain a move he’d been trying to get across to Brady. In less than 10 minutes, Brady understood.
“Because we’re saying the same thing,” said David, “but you sometimes have to say it in six or seven ways until the person, the individual, understands it.”
Ciaran doesn’t consider himself a golfer, but he left Orlando certainly hungry to get better. With Paddy still in college next December, Ciaran will likely get the nod again from dad and wants to be ready.
For years, Will McGee asked his mother if he could play with her in the PNC. But Sorenstam and her husband, Mike, wanted to be sure that Will was ready for this kind of spotlight. They wanted to make sure that the emphasis was on fun.
Will is undeniably addicted to golf, but certainly not because he was pushed into it. If anything, Sorenstam has worried that Will might get burned out because he rarely shows an interest in much else.
That’s certainly the recipe Padraig Harrington prescribes for those interested in getting their children involved in the game.
“Just let the kids just have a bit of fun and just no pressure, no stress,” said Harrington. “They’ve loads of time, you know, you don’t need to be good at this game at six years of age, or eight years of age or even 12 years of age. It could be even a burden to be good at that age. So, you know, let them enjoy.”
On the 18th fairway Sunday, the 12-year-old said: “I don’t want this moment to end.”
ORLANDO — While Tiger Woods and son Charlie dominate many of the headlines at the PNC Championship, Will McGee once again won plenty of hearts. Walking down the 18th fairway on Sunday, the 12-year-old turned to his mother, Annika Sorenstam, and said, “Slow down, Mommy, I don’t want this moment to end.”
No one loves the PNC more than young McGee, who doffed his cap for the crowd around the 18th green after hitting a beautiful bunker shot. He’d caught it thin out of another bunker on the last hole during Saturday’s round and wanted revenge.
McGee shed many tears on that final hole. When asked why he felt so emotional, McGee said, “Probably because I have to wait a year to do this again.”
McGee and his Hall of Fame mom shot 67 in the scramble format to finish in a share of 11th in the 20-team event. The duo will split $43,750 from the prize fund.
After beginning the week with an ace during a practice round at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club with his father, McGee then drained a lengthy eagle putt during Saturday’s first round.
Annika Sorenstam of Sweden poses for a photograph with her son Will McGee on the first tee during the final round of the 2023 PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images)
A bona fide golf lover, McGee was stoked to talk to Tiger Woods several times, noting that he was “super nice.” Justin Thomas even offered a tip on playing in windy conditions. It gusted over 30 mph during Sunday’s final round.
“He keeps telling me I need to weigh more,” said McGee, the youngest player in the field. “So he put some golf balls in my pocket so I don’t fly away.”
ORLANDO — Will McGee rated his debut at the PNC Championship last year with mom Annika Sorenstam a 10 out of 10. It’s hard to go up from there, but the 12-year-old, a fan favorite at last year’s event, already has quite the highlight reel at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club. First came the ace during a practice round after school alongside his father, Mike McGee, on the fourth hole. Will hit a 7-iron into the wind from 128 yards.
Then, on Saturday during the PNC’s opening round, Will drained a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 third hole.
“At the start it was downhill,” said Will, “and then like towards the middle you could see it was going to break right. Right as I it had it, I thought it was a couple feet short and my mom was like, get some legs, get some legs. And it kept on slowly going and eventually it dropped, and it felt nice.”
Team Annika holds a share of seventh in the scramble format after carding a 10-under 62. They trail leaders Matt Kuchar and Cameron Kuchar by eight strokes. Tiger Woods and his son Charlie opened with a 64.
Sorenstam, a 72-time winner on the LPGA, including 10 majors, is the only mother playing in the field. To be invited to the PNC, a member of each team must have won at least one major (PGA Tour, LPGA or PGA Tour Champions) or The Players Championship, while the partner must not hold any playing status on a professional tour.
“Last year we just didn’t really know what to expect,” said Sorenstam of their debut, “and I thought we did quite well last year, and then so now this year, the expectations rise for someone, so therefore, we were a little nervous just for that reason.”
Will McGee son of Annika Sorenstam of Sweden tosses a ball on the 18th green during the first round of the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
When asked how many aces he now has, Will said it’s up for debate. He doesn’t count the one he made last year at Pinehurst Resort’s par-3 course, The Cradle, while mom was competing in the U.S. Women’s Open.
“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.”
