Bernhard Langer (Right) shown with son Jason holding the PNC Trophy
The PGA Tour’s annual Parent-Child tournament continued to gain huge traction on social media particularly because Tiger Woods and his son Charlie participated and this time were in contention till the very end.
Charlie’s hole-in-one gained massive fan visibility along with the top two pairs’ record-setting 36-hole total of 28-under-par, capped off by a gripping sudden-death playoff between the two famed father-son duos—This year’s PNC championship was one for the history books.
Fans and spectators were scrambling to keep up with the next plot twist, with thunderous roars and applause resounding from seemingly every hole, all at once.
The TMRW Sports co-founder, Tiger Woods, and his 15-year-old son, Charlie, came guttingly close to their maiden dream win at the PNC Championship, but were bested by 2-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer and his youngest son Jason Langer, who played collegiate golf at Penn University till 2021 and is an investment banking analyst in New York now.
On the first playoff hole at the par-5 18th, 67-year-old Langer drained a curling 18-foot eagle putt to seal his fourth win with Jason. It was the sixth time Langer had come out on top at the annual 20-team family event after winning it back-to-back in 2005 and 2006 with his elder son Stefan Langer, who caddied for Jason this year.
The spirited and charged energy permeating the Ritz-Carlton Golf Course in Orlando, Florida, was driven to a frenzy by Charlie, who made his first-ever hole-in-one at the par-3 fourth that elicited a rare ecstatic reaction from his dad, who was visibly excited and playfully shoved his mini-me in disbelief and wonderment.
Adding to the drama, Paddy Harrington, son of three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, carded another ace at the par-3 eighth, marking two holes-in-one during the 36-hole competition—a rarity in professional golf.
If winning is a habit for Tiger, Team Woods had found their match in the one team led by as habitual a winner as Tiger himself.
“For us to have that experience together,” said Tiger. “I know we didn’t win, but it was the fact that we competed. No one really made a mistake out there. We had to earn it, and that’s what you want to have. Hats off to Langers. They played amazing.”
After besting Tiger and Charlie, Bernhard Langer addressed the crowd and acknowledged that he and his son weren’t the fan favorites: “I know most of you would’ve loved to have had Tiger here, and Charlie. I’m convinced they’re going to win this several times in the near future. They’re just too good. … It won’t take them long, I promise you that.”
As the 2024 edition of The PNC Championship, fondly referred to as the “fifth major” by Langer, closes with unforgettable moments, the countdown to next year’s tournament has already begun – where the spotlight will undoubtedly return to Team Woods and the search for their first win together.
