Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie PHOTO COURTESY OF TENNISWORLDUSA.ORG
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – No surprise Tiger Woods jokingly refers back to the PNC Championship because the fifth main.
Woods was along with 14-year-old son Charlie on Friday, their swings eerily related and the encouraging phrases coming as solely Woods can ship them. They had been warming up forward of the pro-am, hitting flop photographs, when Charlie hit one which was … properly, let Woods clarify.
“We`re ending on that one proper there. That was nasty,“ Woods stated, repeating the second half with an additional phrase for emphasis.
Woods felt adequate to show down a golf cart and stroll 18 holes in a powerful wind in the course of the pro-am, which isn’t to counsel he’s utterly on the mend. “I felt like I used to be bodily fit to do it,” Woods stated. “Additionally, strolling is best for my again. I simply needed to maintain it free and maintain it going, and we`re having a lot it doesn`t actually matter.”
Woods selected to not converse to media, desirous to keep away from any queries about his place on the PGA Tour board because it negotiates business offers with the Saudi backer of LIV Golf the deadline is about two weeks away and a personal funding group of highly effective U.S. sports activities crew house owners.
That is the fourth 12 months Woods is taking part in with Charlie. They had been runner-up two years in the past and whereas Woods repeatedly talks about “having a blast,” getting the Willie Park Trophy that goes to the winners would have its personal place amongst some 100 wins worldwide.
“Successful majors is unbelievable and the way he`s gained his majors,” Justin Thomas stated. “However seeing how a lot he cares about Charlie and having (daughter) Sam out right here and him doing that along with Charlie as he`s watching him develop up, it could a really, very completely different type of win that doesn`t possibly include the document books and historical past.”
The query is how a lot Charlie, whose highschool crew gained the Class A state championship, carries the load. He isn’t the little crumb-snatcher __ a time period Woods` father affectionately used for him __ that first performed within the PNC Championship in 2020 at age 11. He’s taller and stronger, with extra pace in his swing and loads of pop.
Charlie has been moved again a set of tees, only one in entrance of his father. He will probably be taking part in The Ritz-Carlton Membership at 6,576 yards, the identical set of tees utilized by Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk, and Nelly Korda from the LPGA Tour.
“I can`t fairly give him as a lot temporary anymore as a result of he`s near beating me up,” Thomas stated. “It`s spectacular from a golfer standpoint as a result of he`s nonetheless a 14-year-old however maturing within the sense of his golf recreation, and he`s extra keen to be taught and he`s open to all of it instances.
“I`m simply glad he retains shifting again tee markers. He`s main the match in inches grown.”
He has a reasonably good trainer in his father, even at this stage in his profession. The PNC Championship, which begins Friday, is simply the fourth competitors this 12 months for Woods. He made the reduce however didn`t finish the third spherical of the Masters, after which had ankle fusion surgical procedure shortly thereafter.
Woods returned ahead of he anticipated on the Hero World Problem within the Bahamas two weeks in the past. He finished 18th within the 20-man field, and it was truthful to take a position that he was utilizing that to heat up for the large one – the PNC Championship.
“I used to be capable of knock a whole lot of the rust off there on the Hero,” Woods stated. “My palms felt higher with management hitting photographs. And particularly as we speak with the wind blowing as onerous because it was, I used to be capable of hit flighted photographs properly, which was not fairly as sharp as I needed to be at Hero.”
The massive concern is the climate. The wind was sufficient to shake timber, and rain is within the forecast over the following two days. Beginning instances have been moved up. Everybody will probably be in a cart, as that is run by the PGA Tour Champions.
Woods has caddied for his son a type of occasions is what gave him the inexperienced mild to play within the Bahamas and watched him develop. He has taught him in regards to the strategy of deciding the best way to hit photographs, and the child sounds inquisitive.
“And generally he doesn`t see it the way in which I noticed, which is enjoyable,” Woods stated. A part of that relationship is giving Charlie house to figure it out on his personal, golf and life, although Woods stated he additionally supplies what he referred to as “guardrails.“ “There`s a lot of the noise in our lives that individuals are at all times making an attempt to get stuff out of us, and my job as a dad or mum is to guard him from a whole lot of that stuff,” Woods stated. “Then once more, as an adolescent, I would like him to attempt to develop into his personal man on the similar time. So it’s a problem as a dad or mum and to supply that environment for him, to be taught, to develop, and have that freedom, in the meantime understanding that there’s a lot noise wanting into our lives.”
Woods stated it was completely different for him at that age, primarily as a result of there have been no telephones and cameras at each flip, and no social media.
On the subject of telephones got here one pet peeve.
“I simply don’t like the truth that he stares at his telephone on a regular basis,“ Woods stated.