Tiger Woods Revels in Family Week at PNC Championship While Remaining Positive for Future

Team Woods finished in a tie for fifth, six shots behind Bernhard Langer and his son, and Tiger saw encouraging signs as he looks to 2024.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The ball tracked toward the hole and Tiger Woods could sense where it is was headed. He had the perfect view to see it funneling toward the cup, and the trademark uppercut celebratory reaction ensued.

Of course, this was not Woods reveling in the holed-out shot for birdie, but his son, Charlie, who pulled off the mimic almost as good as his dad.

CHARLIE WOODS!!

A chip-in birdie for Team Woods @PNCChampionship 💪 pic.twitter.com/0nh0KdP0JV

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 17, 2023

The shot on the 9th hole at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club helped the father-son duo shoot 11-under-61 on the second day of the competition won by Bernhard Langer and his son Jason.

MORE: Full payouts from the PNC Championship

And it highlighted why the event has become special to the man who in previous times would have wanted no part of such a public stage for his family, where his daughter, Sam, caddied for him at the PNC Championship.

Tiger Woods continued to sound positive about his health after a PNC Championship where he walked Friday and Sunday instead of riding :: Kevin Kolczynski/AP

"I think the whole week, to be able to share it with my family ... to have both my kids out there the last two days has been so special," Woods said after he and Charlie tied for fifth. "Just grateful for us to be able to have these types of experiences, for Charlie and I to have done this for four years in a row now since the start of COVID, to be able to come out here, and for all of us as families to come out and enjoy the week, it's special.

"And for me, I haven't seen a lot of these guys because a lot of them are on the Champions Tour and quite frankly I haven't played a lot. So it was nice to catch up with them this week and see all their families."

Woods, in fact, has played very little. This was just his second event since April ankle surgery that followed a withdrawal from the Masters. And that tournament, where he made the cut, was just his fifth since returning from the February 2021 car crash that severely injured his lower right leg.

But these signs have been positive after Woods played at the Hero World Challenge two weeks ago and again this weekend at the PNC, where despite having the use of a golf cart, he elected to walk during Friday’s pro-am and again on Sunday.

It’s a lot more positive than it was after Woods played the Genesis Invitational at Riviera earlier this year and then had all he could do to get ready for the Masters.

"Very different," he said. "Riv, my ankle was not good at that time and the recovery was a lot more difficult. But we’ve been training every day. After the Bahamas, we were in the gym on Monday. So we have been going after it.

"The ankle was fine because it’s now fused but other parts were definitely aching. But the fact we were able to train right away and get after it, starting hitting balls, that was encouraging."

Woods has made clear on a few occasions now that there are other aches and pains associated with playing golf. His back still bothers him at times and there are numerous other issues with his lower leg, ankle and foot that give him trouble.

But the power off the tee is still there and Woods has shown plenty of flashes of his long-held skills.

"I think that given the fact that I’m able to practice and do the things that I know I can do, and prepare, I know that I can still do it," Woods said. “I can still hit the golf ball.

"It’s just a matter of prepping and getting enough reps and getting enough work in and being right physically and (the) endurance capability of it. I haven’t had the leg good enough where I’ve been able to compete and play a lot of rounds. I’ve had a couple of procedures over the years, and that’s just part of it.

"I know if I can practice, I know I can still do it. I can still hit the golf ball. I can still chip. I can still putt. Granted, it’s all putting it all together for 72 holes. That’s the challenging part of it."

Woods knocked off some rust at the PNC, but playing a scramble with ball in hand, he acknowledged, was not going to tell him much. Still, it was another encouraging sign as he said again he hopes to play a tournament a month, likely starting at the Genesis Invitational in February.

After a Saturday 64, the Woodses were likely too far back to mount a charge. Their final-round score saw them make an eagle and nine birdies to finish six shots behind the Langers, who shot a final-round 59. Bernhard Langer has now won this event five times, the third time with his son, Jason. He also won twice with son Stefan.