The PNC Championship isn’t a storybook, but it’s still special for Tiger Woods’ son Charlie

ORLANDO, Fla. – The finish was just a picture-perfect thanks to a nearly flawless performance from a 67-year-old German who is aging like Benjamin Button, but for Team Woods, everything about the final round of the PNC Championship was special.

Tiger Woods and his 15-year-old son Charlie lost on the first extra hole at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club to Bernhard Langer and his son Jason, a 24-year-old investment banker, but it wasn’t quite as close of a miss or disappointment at 36 holes race, which was important for Team Woods, came up short.

“I know we didn’t win so we could have that experience together, but it was the fact that we were competing,” Tiger said. “Nobody really made a mistake out there. We had to earn it and that’s what you want. Hats off to Langers. They played great.”

As is usual at this event, Sunday was a race for a tournament record, with Woodses and Langers delivering birdies – and eagles – on almost every hole after they were tied for the lead at 13 under at the start of the final round. But it was Team Woods that came out on top thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime moment for father and son.

On the 178-yard, par-3 fourth hole, Charlie launched his 7-iron tee shot toward the green as Tiger watched closely. There was a pause after the ball landed on the green and disappeared behind a hill before the crowd erupted around the putting surface.

“Is that in there?” Tiger asked before officials quickly confirmed that Charlie had made his first ace in the most eye-opening moment — at least for a high school sophomore.

“It was great having Dad there. “That was so much fun,” Charlie said, smiling. “It was just a perfect 7-iron, with a little notch. Of course I never saw it go in. So that sucks. But that’s okay.”

Tiger echoed those comments, describing the moment as “the thrill of his life, being able to experience that moment with Charlie,” he said.

Despite the theatrics, Team Langer kept pace with an eagle on the next hole and evened the lead at 21 under with a birdie on the 10th hole^Th Hole. In total, the two teams combined for 26 birdies, two eagles and a hole in one, finishing the round with matching birdies on the 18th^Th Hole tied at 28 under. Bernhard Langer won the sixth playoff in event history with a 15-foot eagle putt on No. 18, making an impressive comeback this season after missing much of the year with an Achilles tendon injury in February.

“It’s unbelievable, isn’t it?” said Tiger about Bernhard Langer’s performance. “The driver (Langer) hit out of the bunker on the 14th, which was one of the best shots I’ve ever seen.”

The win would have been the perfect end to an otherwise perfect day, but for Tiger, who has embraced the PNC and its focus on family even as his competitive days appear to be dwindling, it was a reason to look beyond the scoreboard for satisfaction.

“It’s all about family here. This is about bonding and having a great time, and that’s what we did. “It’s a unique thrill for us to be able to experience it all together,” said Tiger.

Team Woods continues to trend right at PNC after finishing seventh in 2020, second in ’21, eighth in ’22 and fifth in ’23. It also sends an encouraging message for Woods heading into 2025 after another lost season that included just five official PGA Tour starts and a made cut at the Masters, where he finished 60th^Thlast among the players who finished the weekend at Augusta National.

Woods had his fifth microdisectomy on his back in September and was predictably vague earlier this month when asked about a timetable for a possible return to competition. But his play at PNC, even if he only played 36 holes of scramble golf, gave cause for optimism.

“We’ll see,” Tiger shrugged. “I don’t like this cold right now; I can tell you that. But hey, it’s about training every day, doing the little things and developing, and I’ll keep going into next year.”

While injuries continue to cloud Tiger’s competitive future after two magical days in Central Florida, it’s safe to say that Team Woods will be back on the Ritz-Carlton course next year looking for another picture-perfect finish.