Tiger Woods made his return to competitive golf at the PNC Championship this weekend, as the parent-child event on the PGA Tour presented a low-stress environment and a place he could use a golf cart for the two-day “hit and giggle,” as Tiger called it.
However, while seeing Tiger hit golf shots for the first time since his horrific car accident nearly cost him his right leg back in February was the headliner coming into the weekend, he was only the second most talked about Woods once Sunday ended. For the second straight year, Woods teed it up at the event with his son Charlie, who is, as you’d expect, a tremendous talent, but on Sunday the youngest Woods put on an absolute show, particularly as Tiger seemed to fade a bit in his first event back on that injured leg.
Tiger and Charlie, after a 10-under 62 on Saturday, came out Sunday needing a massive round to put themselves in contention, and did just that, shooting a 15-under 57 that included a stretch of 11 straight birdies. Tiger created some terrific highlights of his own, most notably a near hole-out with a wedge and some big putts.
Wedge game. 💯
A near hole-out and big smile from @TigerWoods. pic.twitter.com/jJgXdZcfin
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 19, 2021
Sunday charge.
Team Woods is showing no signs of slowing down. pic.twitter.com/pDU1Xkv0in
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 19, 2021
But it was Charlie who stole the show, firing some absolute darts, burying putt after putt, and twirling clubs, raising putters, and tossing coins early like his father in his prime.
Club twirl ✔️
Putter raise ✔️Signature moves from Team Woods. pic.twitter.com/1axRf2gV51
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 19, 2021
Charlie delivers again.
NINE birdies in a row for Team Woods. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VI0XWI4lgX
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 19, 2021
TEN birdies in a row!
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🐦The longest birdie streak of the week by any team … by 3. pic.twitter.com/RVF0nyTwaQ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 19, 2021
Team Woods’ final two birdies of the day were all Charlie, as he birdied with his own ball on 16 and 17, where he authored the shot of the day from the same tees the pros were playing from, throwing a dart at a tough pin near the water.
Watching in awe. 😲
11 birdies in a row for Team Woods. pic.twitter.com/iIP9S4UDOZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 19, 2021
It wasn’t quite enough to catch the Johns Daly (John and John II), but it was one of the coolest moments of the golf year watching Charlie put his dad in the passenger’s seat down the stretch as they caught fire as a duo to get to second place (after finishing seventh a year ago).