Charlie Woods cards first-ever ace at PNC Championship
There’s Sunday red, and there are Sunday red numbers. Charlie Woods offered a dose of both on the fourth hole Sunday at the PNC Championship, with his first-lifetime ace making a memory that he and his dad will never forget.
“It was an unbelievable moment,” said the elder Woods. “That was the thrill of a lifetime.”
The hole-in-one propelled Team Woods into a playoff at the PNC Championship, where the duo was narrowly edged by Bernhard and Jason Langer with an eagle on the first extra hole, the par-5 18th at Ritz-Carlton GC. The teams, which played together Sunday, matched scores of 59-57 at the long-running holiday scramble. The playoff was made possible by that hole-in-one, which elicited memories of Tiger Woods’ first professional ace at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open.
It was a special Sunday in central Florida, with the younger Woods’ ace foreshadowing the fireworks that were about to transpire. Charlie Woods made a smooth swing on a 7-iron that he stared down all the way; the ball landed roughly 6 feet left of the hole and released into the center of the cup.
Mid-air, the younger Woods asked for the ball to cut. It did just that, and the 15-year-old paused in disbelief for a few moments, a wry smile on his face, before sharing a strong hug with his dad. The smile perhaps burned brighter on the elder Woods’ face, who then gave his son a light shove across the tee box that conveyed pure joy.
The ace was the microcosm of the Sunday overall, where the Woods and Langer families traded punches reminiscent of so many iconic moments authored by the teams’ elder statesmen.
“It was awesome,” Charlie Woods said afterward. “No one made a mistake today, so that was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. On top of that, I made an ace. I don’t think I can top that. It was awesome.”
“That’s one of the highlights we’ve ever had,” Tiger Woods added. “On the hole previous, he made his first eagle (in a previous PNC), and now he just made his first hole-in-one. It’s a magical two-hole stretch. I’m just so happy for him and for the enjoyment we had as a family. To be out there with Bernie and Jason, it was a lot of fun … It was back and forth, nobody made a mistake today; we had to earn it, and that was the joy of it.
“I’m nowhere near competitive shape. I’m a great scramble partner. We made a great team this week, and that’s the whole joy of it, is to be out here with family and bonding and just the enjoyment of each other’s company.”
Team Woods shared the first-round lead at 13-under 59, alongside Team Langer and Team Singh. In four prior PNC Championship appearances, Team Woods’ best finish was runner-up in 2021, two strokes behind John Daly and John Daly II. This marked Team Woods’ second runner-up at the event, with the PNC’s coveted title belts still eluding them.
Bernhard Langer, who is now a six-time PNC winner with various partners, believes a Team Woods title is imminent at this event.
“I’m convinced they are going to win this thing in the next few years,” the elder Langer said afterward. “They are just too good.”
There was magic in the air Sunday at the PNC, as less than an hour after Charlie Woods made the ace heard ’round the golf world, Paddy Harrington, son of Padraig, carded a hole-in-one at the par-3 eighth hole. It was the first hole-in-one of the younger Harrington’s life, he said afterward.
“We were going to hit the 5(-iron) because there was a lot of wind coming in. Last minute, we changed to 6(-iron), I just hit it pure … it was right on it, and it faded lovely into the hole,” Paddy said in the aftermath.
“I’ve never been as excited,” his dad added. “I’ve never hit a shot that I’ve been as excited.”
Team Woods, despite falling short of its first PNC title, felt the same. Where did the day rank in their archive of golf memories?
“No. 1. It’s not even close,” said the younger Woods.
SOURCE: [PGATour.com]
