Woods, Charlie seek PNC Championship title

A golfing legend claims that participating in a tournament could postpone the recuperation of his injuries, but that spending time with his son is “far more important.” Tiger Woods will compete this weekend at the PNC Championship with his 13-year-old son Charlie, despite the fact that the 15-time major champion warned on Friday that it might put off the healing of his ankle.

The 36-hole parent-child golf tournament will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday and Sunday. The Woods team, who finished second in 2021, will make their third consecutive start.

Any opportunity I have to be with my son is always wonderful, according to Woods. “The past few years have been wonderful. We are anticipating it.”

Woods warned that participating in the competition could delay the resolution of the plantar fasciitis he has in his right foot, which has kept him from competing in the Bahamas Invitational earlier this month.

Only nine competitive rounds have been played by Woods this year due to his recovery from significant leg injuries sustained in a 2021 automobile accident. Woods turns 47 on December 30. Woods missed the cut in the British Open at St. Andrews in July after withdrawing from the PGA Championship after three holes due to leg problems after finishing 47th at the Masters in his comeback contest.

“I played more this year than I certainly thought at the beginning of the year,” Woods said. “But I got the chance to play in three major championships. That’s far, far more than what I had expected going into the year. So it has been a positive.” Woods is uncertain of his 2023 plans but hopes for a return to the majors.

“If I didn’t have the plantar feeling like this, I’d have a better idea,” Woods said. “I’m supposed to be resting this thing and stretching and letting it heal. But I’m not doing that at the moment.” Woods, whose 82 PGA Tour wins equal Sam Snead for the all-time record, played in a 12-hole exhibition match with carts last weekend but still struggles to walk 18 holes.

“This off season hasn’t really been an off season. I’ve kind of ramped things up,” Woods said. “But after this, come Monday, we shut it all down and take care of this foot so that I can ramp up properly.

“I can practice. I just can’t walk… I can hit golf balls. I can do all that. I can hit shots around the green. I just can’t get from point A to point B.”

Charlie Woods tweaked his ankle Friday, giving him a limp to match that of his father, but the PNC allows players to use golf carts. “We’ll be ready come game time,” Woods said.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, a PNC entrant with his son, says Woods will win another major. “I’m not saying he ‘could be’ – I actually believe he will be a danger. I think he’ll win another major,” Harrington said. “I genuinely think he will be in contention.”

The 51-year-old Irishman liked what he saw from Woods in The Match exhibition even though Woods didn’t win a hole. “You never doubt Tiger’s mental ability,” Harrington said. “He looked better physically at that match… he might be in a better place than I had thought.”

Only two golfers as old as Woods is now have ever won major titles – Julius Boros at the 1968 PGA Championship at age 48 and Phil Mickelson at age 50 in last year’s PGA Championship.