Tiger Woods and son fall short in PNC championship playoff

Tiger Woods (49) and his son Charlie (15) came close to victory at the PNC Championship but settled for a runner-up finish for the second time. The duo lost in a playoff to Bernhard Langer (67) and his son Jason (24) at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, on Monday.

Dressed in matching red shirts—Tiger’s iconic look—the Woods duo started the final round tied for the lead. They surged ahead early in the round after Charlie’s spectacular hole-in-one on the par-3 fourth hole. Using a 7-iron, the 15-year-old covered 178 yards (approximately 163 meters) to make his first career hole-in-one, marking a memorable moment in his five-year history with the event.

The Woods duo didn’t stop there, adding 13 birdies to finish with a tournament-record 28-under-par 116. However, they faced the Langer duo in a playoff after both teams posted the same final score. On the par-5 18th hole, Woods and his son managed a birdie, but Langer and his son secured victory with an eagle. This marks the second time Tiger and Charlie Woods have finished as runners-up at the PNC Championship, following their 2021 performance.

Despite the loss, the event rekindled hopes for Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf. Woods, who hasn’t played since missing the cut at The Open Championship in July, underwent back surgery in September for pain management. While his 2024 tour schedule remains uncertain, Woods assured fans, saying, “I’ll keep pushing forward next year.”


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com