Tiger Woods and son get another crack at PNC Championship. Woods jokingly calls it the 5th major

Tiger Woods and their son have another shot at the PNC Championship. Woods jokingly calls it his fifth major.

FILE – Tiger Woods shakes fists with his son Charlie Woods, left, after teeing off on the ninth hole during the first round of the PNC Championship golf tournament Saturday, Dec. 12. On November 17, 2022, at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, Tiger Woods was in a good mood, abandoned his cart and played the 18th hole. His 14-year-old son Charlie hit the ball so hard it bounced. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski, File)

FILE – Tiger Woods shakes hands with his son Charlie Woods, left, after teeing off on the ninth hole during the first round of the PNC Championship golf tournament Saturday, Dec. 12. On November 17, 2022, at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, Tiger Woods was in a good mood, abandoned his cart and played the 18th hole. His 14-year-old son Charlie hit the ball so hard it bounced. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski, File)

ADDITIONAL FILE – Charlie Woods (left) tees off on the second green as Tiger Woods (right) watches the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament on Sunday, Dec. 12. On January 18, 2022, at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, Tiger Woods was in a good mood, abandoned his cart and played the 18th hole. His 14-year-old son Charlie hit the ball so hard it bounced. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski, File)

FILE – Tiger Woods (right) tees off on the second green as Charlie Woods (left) watches the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament Sunday, Dec. 12. On January 18, 2022, at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, Tiger Woods was in a good mood, abandoned his cart and played the 18th hole. His 14-year-old son Charlie hit the ball so hard it bounced. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski, File)

Orlando, Florida (AP) – It’s no surprise that Tiger Woods is jokingly calling the PNC Championship his fifth major.

Woods was with his 14-year-old son Charlie last Friday, and their swings are so similar that it was a pep talk only he could have said. Preparing for the pro-am shots and hitting the flop, Charlie hit that shot… well, let Woods explain. “I’m done with this. “It was tough,” Woods repeated the second part, adding extra words for emphasis. Woods pulled a golf cart during the pro-am and said he felt well enough to play 18 holes in strong winds, but that doesn’t mean he’s fully recovered.

Jon Rahm hits the 9th green during the second round of LIV Golf Las Vegas at Las Vegas Country Club on Friday, February 2nd. September 9, 2024, Las Vegas.

“I felt physically ready to do it,” Woods said. “Walking is also good for the back. I wanted to leave her alone and move on. We have so much going on that it doesn’t really matter.

Woods has opted not to speak to the media to avoid questions about his position on the PGA Tour board, which has signed commercial deals with Saudi giant LIV Golf (the deadline is about two weeks away) and a powerful group of US private investment. . . The owner of a sports team. This is Woods’ fourth year playing with Charlie. Two years ago they finished runner-up and Woods repeatedly said it was “absolutely fantastic”, but the Willie Park Trophy awarded to the winner will be one of nearly 100 wins worldwide. “It’s amazing to win a major and it’s amazing how he did it,” Justin Thomas said. “But to see how much she cares for Charlie and to have Sam (daughter) here and to see Charlie grow up is going to be a different kind of win that doesn’t match the record. “Books and History.”

The question is how much pressure is on Charlie as his high school team wins the Class A state championship. He’s not the little thief Woods’ father loved him for when he made his first appearance at the 2020 PNC Championship as an 11-year-old. It’s bigger, stronger, has more swing speed and more pop. Charlie received a set of t-shirts, one of which was for his father. Played from 6,576 yards at The Ritz-Carlton, the same set of tees used by LPGA Tour players Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and Nellie Korda. “I can’t give him a lot of commands because he almost hit me,” Thomas said. “It’s impressive from a golfer’s perspective. Because even though he is only 14 years old, he is mature in his golf game, eager to learn and always open. “I’m glad he moved the marker. “I led the competition inch by inch,” he said.

His father had very good teachers, even at this stage of his career. The PNC Championship, which opens on Friday, is Woods’ fourth tournament of the year. He made the cut but failed to finish the third round of the Masters and immediately underwent ankle fusion surgery. Woods returned earlier than expected from the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas two weeks ago. He finished 18th out of 20 men and it’s fair to assume he used that as preparation for the big race: the PNC Championship. “We were able to get a lot of the rust off the hero,” Woods said. “I had good hands when I drove the shot. Especially today with the strong wind I was able to get some great shots of Batyr that weren’t as sharp as I would have liked.

The big concern is the weather. The wind is strong enough to shake trees, and rain is expected over the next two days. The start time has been advanced. It’s driven by a PGA Tour Champion, so everything comes in one cart. Woods has helped his sons, one of whom has given him permission to play in the Bahamas and is following his progress. He taught him how to handle the shots and the boy looks like he’s having fun. “Sometimes, he doesn’t see them the way I do, and that’s okay,” Woods said.

As part of this relationship, Charlie gets to figure it out, play golf, and live life, but Woods also provides what he calls “a hedge.”

“There’s so much noise in our lives that people are always trying to take things away from us. As a parent, it’s my job to protect my child from a lot of that,” Woods said. “But as a teenager, I want him to be his own person at the same time. Therefore, as parents, it is difficult to understand that there is a lot of noise in our lives and to provide an atmosphere of learning, growth and freedom.

Woods said things were different at that age because there were no phones, cameras or social media. Pets complain about the phone theme.

“I don’t like the way he’s always looking at his phone,” Woods said.