Woods, Griffeys, and Howes: Some of the most notable father-son duos in American sports
The PNC Championship tees off Thursday, Dec. 14 and will feature 20 professional golfers and a family member competing at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Course in Orlando, Florida. One of the headline pairs for this year's PNC Championship are Tiger Woods and his son Charlie.
The two first competed in the PNC Championship in 2020. Tiger and Charlie finished second in the 2021 PNC Championship, two strokes behind winning Team Daly (John Daly and John Daly II).
Tiger and Charlie Woods will be back on the course again looking for another strong result. They're the latest father-son duo in golf and in American sports to play together. Here's a look at some other notable father-son duos who competed together in other sports:
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Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. (baseball)
By the time Ken Griffey Jr. was named the U.S. high school baseball player of the year in 1987, his father had won two World Series and made three All-Star teams. The Seattle Mariners drafted Griffey Jr. with the first overall selection in the 1987 MLB Draft and Griffey Sr. helped negotiate his son's contract.
Griffey Jr. made his debut on April 3, 1989 and the duo made MLB history as the first father-son duo to play in the majors at the same time. The Cincinnati Reds released Griffey Sr. midway through the 1990 season and signed with the Mariners to close out the season with his son. They became the first father-son duo to appear in the same lineup (Aug. 31, 1990) and hit back-to-back home runs (Sept. 14, 1990).
"Being a father, I guess it's a dream come true," Griffey Sr. said at the time, per MLB.com. "This is the pinnacle - this is the thing in my career that I'm very proud of - very proud of. You can talk about the '76 batting race I was in and all that. But to me this is No. 1."
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Gordie, Mark, and Marty Howe (hockey)
Gordie Howe retired from the NHL in 1971 as the greatest player in the sport's history. Five decades later, Mr. Hockey remains with the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr as the greatest NHL players of all-time.
After 25 years with the Detroit Red Wings, Howe retired due to a chronic wrist injury and moved into the Red Wings' front office. Two years later in 1973, the newly formed World Hockey Association (WHA) came knocking.
Both of Howe's sons - Mark and Marty - were playing for the Houston Aeros and wanted to sign the legend as well. Surgery on his wrist cleared the way for the trio to play together in the newly formed league. Howe won the Gary L. Davidson Trophy in 1974 - given to the WHA's most valuable player - and won the WHA title that year. After another title in 1975, the trio signed with the New England Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes) in 1977.
Lee, Richard, and Kyle Petty (NASCAR)
The Petty Family's seen four generations of stock car racers, starting with Lee Petty. Petty competed in NASCAR's inaugural race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on June 19, 1949. He'd go on to win Cup Series (then-Grand National) championships in 1954, 1958, and 1959.
In the 1958 season, Lee's son Richard made his debut in the Jim Mideon 500. The two would race together in NASCAR through the 1964 season. Richard won the first of seven NASCAR titles that year and Lee competed in his final two races at Old Dominion Speedway and Watkins Glen.
Richard racked up championships in 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1979, cementing his status as one of NASCAR's all-time greats. In 1979, his son Kyle debuted in the then-Winston Cup Series at the Talladega 500. Kyle finished the race ninth, five spots behind Richard.
The two raced together for more than a decade. Kyle's first Winston Cup Series win came in the 1987 Coca-Cola 600 with Richard following in fourth. Kyle won another pair of races before Richard's retirement after the 1992 season.
Kyle's son Adam was expected to compete in the Cup Series as well but he died following a high-speed crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on May 12, 2000. The duo competed in just one Cup Series race together: the 2000 DirecTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
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Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR)
By the time Richard Petty retired, Dale Earnhardt was well on his way to matching his championship record. Earnhardt eventually won seven Winston Cup Series titles (1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994) and earned many nicknames for his aggressive style behind the wheel.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his Winston Cup Series debut at the 1999 Coca-Cola 600. Earnhardt Sr. finished sixth with Earnhardt Jr. following a bit behind in 16th. The two raced full-time in 2000 when Earnhardt Sr. finished second in the championship and Earnhardt Jr. won his first Cup Series race at the 2000 DirecTV 500.
The 2001 season opened with the Daytona 500 and it was the last time the father-son duo drove together. Earnhardt Jr. raced from sixth up to second by the checkered flag but Earnhardt Sr. died on the last lap in a three-car crash. He remains the last Cup Series driver to die during competition in a race.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Latest father-son duo Tiger, Charlie Woods return to PNC Championship
