Tiger Woods and his son Charlie, second in 2021, were on the heels of Mike Thomas and his son Justin on Saturday in the PNC championship, which brings together families of Major winners until Sunday in Orlando, Florida.
The Thomases, winners of the 2020 edition, led the dance with a card of 57 (15 strokes under par).
The Woods duo – overtaken in 2020 by the Daly team – followed them closely at two strokes, tied with the pair formed by Vijay Singh and his son Qass.
Since their first participation in this family tournament in 2020, the spotlight has been on Charlie Woods, 13, and his father Tiger, winner of fifteen Majors.
The Woods team caught fire after a first birdie on the second hole despite slight physical problems, before moving on.
“We had a blast today,” savored Woods Sr.
Alongside good family friends like Justin and Mike Thomas, the atmosphere was good-natured and sometimes sprinkled with a few spades.
Tiger Woods said this friendly rivalry added extra motivation.
“They won the belt (the trophy) two years ago. They shoved it in our face at Christmas dinner,” he recalled. “They are in a good position to do it again this Christmas, but we have our say,” he continued.
“The Tiger”, who will turn 47 on December 30, has only participated in nine competitions this season. He was recovering from serious leg injuries sustained in a car accident in 2021.
His preparation for the year 2023 also promises to be complicated because of plantar fasciitis – an inflammation – in the right foot, even if the golf legend hopes to participate in the four majors this season.