Tiger Woods returns this week at Orlando’s PNC Championship
Hall of Famer golfer Tiger Woods’ latest comeback resumes this week in Orlando at the PNC Championship.
Tickets remain for Friday’s pro-am at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Grande Lakes, where Woods and 14-year-old son Charlie will hone their games in preparation for the weekend’s two-day 36-hole scramble.
Team Woods is seeking a maiden victory during its fourth appearance in the unique event. Tiger and Charlie are among 20 parent-child pairings expected to tee it up.
“When we started this tournament, we wanted to showcase the special bond that the love of golf creates in families,” said IMG’s Alastair Johnston, the tournament’s executive chairman. “The teams playing this year certainly personify that ambition.”
In addition to Woods, an 82-time PGA Tour winner, the who’s-who of golf includes 10 former world No.1 players and eight Hall of Famers. The 20 professionals have combined for 61 major championships, including 15 by Woods, 10 by Annika Sorenstam and six each by Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino.
The 84-year-old Trevino is the event’s elder statesman, having played in all 26 stagings.
Most of the teams feature fathers and sons, but Sorenstam will play with her son Will, while reigning PGA Tour Champions season winner Steve Stricker and daughter Izzi will team up and LPGA star Nelly Korda will play with father Petr, a 55-year-old former tennis star and winner of the 1998 Australian Open.
Team Woods, Team Stricker and two-time major champion Justin Thomas and father Mike, who is also his coach, are 5-to-1 favorites, according to SportsBetting.ag. John Daly and John II, the 2021 winners, have 11-to-2 odds while reigning champions Vijay and Qass Singh are 10-to-1 to win.
Team Daly held off Team Woods in 2021 by two shots, the highest finish for Tiger and Charlie Woods. The Woods duo finished seventh during their 2020 debut and tied for eighth in 2022.
All eyes will be on Tiger Woods’ second start since he underwent ankle fusion surgery soon after the Masters in April to address destabilization in the joint caused by a gruesome single-car accident in February 2021.
Woods, who turns 48 Dec. 30, finished 18th of 20 players in the Hero World Challenge earlier this month. But he walked 72 holes with much more ease than during five worldwide events during the previous two years.
He drove a golf cart during the 2022 PNC Championship.
Whatever Woods does this week will elevate the profile of a popular event that began in 1995 and ran until 2008 before a three-year hiatus. PNC’s sponsorship helped revive the tournament in 2012.
Since then, PNC has contributed $1.8 million to the Arnold and Winnie Palmer Foundation. The past five annual $150,000 annual contributions have gone toward revitalizing Lake Lorna Doone Park and the West Lakes area of downtown Orlando.
“The PNC Championship gives us meaningful opportunities to make a positive impact on the Central Florida region, not only through our charitable activities and events during tournament week, but all year long,” said Chad Loar, PNC regional president for west and central Florida.
The first and second rounds will appear live on NBC 2:30-6 p.m. Saturday and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday. A replay of the first round will appear on Golf Channel Saturday 6:30-10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.-2 a.m. and Sunday 5-9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
