Tiger, Charlie Woods form formidable duo in second Father-Son appearance

Hall of Fame golfer Tiger Woods has never lost to 13-year-old son Charlie … yet.

Woods knows the day will arrive, perhaps soon, just not this week when the two will join forces Saturday and Sunday during the PNC Father-Son Challenge.

Beset with injuries accrued during a long decorated playing career and compounded by a horrific car accident in February 2021, Woods is an easier mark for Charlie, who recently hit a drive past his 46-year-old father.

The admission came Saturday night during The Match, a one-sided loss by Woods and Rory McIlroy to Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

“I hate to say it … He finally did it a few weeks ago,” a mic’d-up Woods told commentators on TNT, including Charles Barkley, while playing the Pelican Golf Club outside Tampa. “I spun one, he tomahawked one and got me.”

Charlie still might struggle to keep up consistently with his dad.

Woods’ body is injury-riddled, but his golf swing remains rock solid. On Saturday night, the 15-time major champion produced ball speeds in the upper 170s off the tee.

But Charlie’s game has markedly improved. The eight-grader made headlines with a career-low round of 68 Sept. 25 during a qualifier for the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills.

The game’s most famous father-son duo will be a more formidable pairing a year after finishing runner-up by two shots to John and Little John Daly. The Woods’ final-round 57 included 11 consecutive birdies.

“We had a little run there,” Woods said after the round. “It was fun.”

Since Charlie joined his father for a back-nine charge, Tiger Woods entered the World Golf Hall of Fame and played just nine rounds of competitive golf.

Woods made the cut at the Masters, a tournament he has won five times, including his stunning 2019 victory. A round of 69 during the second round of the PGA Championship was his only sub-70 score and one of just two under par in 2022.

The test at this week’s Father-Son will be less pressure-packed and much more forgiving. A best-ball format on a resort course at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes, is the formula for low-scoring fun and wild finishes.

The Woods team was 25-under par during 36 holes last December. They likely will need to a better score to beat the Dalys, 2020 champions Justin and Mike Thomas, or potentially several of the other pairings in the 20-team field.

Two other pairings, Bernhard and Jason Langer along with Stewart and Connor Cink, won during the past 10 years. David Duval, the 2016 winner, is also back but will play with another child, Brady.

Other intriguing pairings include Spieth and father Shawn for the first time, along with the father-daughter team of Petr and Nelly Korda and the mother-son duo of 10-time LPGA major winner Annika Sorenstam and son Will McGee, also in their inaugural appearance. Sorenstam played last with her father, Tom.

Some tickets are still available for Thursday and Friday Pro-Ams at www.pncchampionship.com.

The two Woods, of course, will generate the most buzz, along with a TV ratings bonanza.

Coverage of the 2021 event averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.34 million viewers on NBC Saturday and a 1.3 and 2.24 million on Sunday — the best numbers since the event returned in 2012 after a three-year hiatus.

Woods is aware the interest he and his son create but aims to shield Charlie when he can.

The 82-time PGA Tour winner discussed the dynamic last week during the debut of “Another Golf Podcast” by Bridgestone Golf, one of Woods’ primary sponsors.

“I want him to learn from everything, but also I want to protect him from all of this … the environment,” Woods told hosts Adam Rehberg with Emilia Migliaccio. “When I grew up there were no camera phones, no videos and stuff. I try to shoo people away. Don’t put any pressure on him.”

While his son navigates the fishbowl, Woods remains close by.

Along the way, Charlie has developed similar mannerisms.

Charlie has yet to mimic the unprecedented success of his father, who as an 8-year-old won the 9-10 age division at the Junior World Golf Championships, one of five titles in the event. In September, Charlie followed his qualifying 68 with rounds of 72-69-71 for a 1-under 211 total to finish 11th in the 12-13 age division.

Woods caddied for Charlie during his qualifier but this weekend will use a golf cart. Plantar fasciitis in the foot of Wood’s right leg, which he shattered during his car wreck, forced him to withdraw from his Hero Challenge Dec. 1-4 in the Bahamas.

After losing The Match to Thomas and Spieth after just 10 of the scheduled 12 holes, the ultra-competitive Woods is sure to welcome a mulligan while teeing it up with his favorite playing partner. Whatever happens this weekend and beyond, Woods said he wants Charlie to have fun.

“Let him go out there and be a kid, enjoy it. You don’t nitpick kids,” Woods said during the Bridgestone podcast. “And don’t compare him to me because he’s not me; he’s Charlie. He’s going to be his own person. Whatever road he goes down, he’s going to create his own path.

“That to me is so important to me as a father: that I provide that environment and that support so that he can go down whatever path he wants to. I just want him to be the best at it.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osgators.