Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff

MIAMI: Golf superstar Tiger Woods was thrilled by son Charlie’s first hole-in-one, but Team Langer got the better of the Woods duo in a playoff for the PNC Championship family golf event crown on Sunday.

The ace by 15-year-old Charlie Woods at the 176-yard, par-three fourth hole at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando briefly lifted the duo into the solo lead in the 36-hole two-player scramble event.

The youngster watched his seven-iron shot as far as he could, but it took the cheers from the crowd to let him know it had landed some six feet from the pin and rolled into the cup. A beaming Tiger Woods gave his son a hard hug, then a playful shove in celebration.

“It was a perfect seven-iron, so just kind of hit it,” Charlie Woods told Golf Channel as he walked toward the fourth green. “It was awesome! I didn’t think it went in.” The elder Woods called it “an unbelievable moment”.

“That two-hole stretch, that was his first eagle he ever made out there on three, and then his first hole-in-one,” the 15-time major champion said. After grabbing a share of the overnight lead with a first-round 59, the Woods duo combined for a 57 on Sunday and a record-setting 36-hole score of 28-under.

But two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer and his son Jason, who were in the three-way tie for the lead to start the day, posted the same score. At the first playoff hole, Bernhard Langer curled in an eagle putt to seal the duo’s second straight victory in the 20-team event.

Langer has now won six PNC titles -- four with Jason and two with son Stefan. Despite the tournament’s laid-back atmosphere, there were plenty of fireworks on Sunday. Paddy Harrington, son of three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, also had a hole-in-one, saying his ace at the par-three eighth was the first of his life.

“I’ve never been as excited,” Padraig Harrington said. “I’ve never hit a shot that I’ve been as excited.” The event was a chance for Tiger Woods, who turns 49 on December 30, to get a taste of some friendly competition for the first time since he missed the cut at the British Open at Royal Troon.

Woods, whose 82 US PGA Tour titles are tied with Sam Snead for most in history, has said he has a long way to go to be ready to return to elite tournament play after undergoing a sixth back surgery in September.

He also continues to deal with lower leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash, but was able to walk rather than use a cart for both rounds in Orlando, where the rules would have allowed it. “I did a few things here and there,” Woods said, but added that for him the week “is all about family”.

“This is about bonding and it’s about having a great time, and we did that,” said Woods, whose daughter Sam caddied for him.Wood praised his son for handling the “out-of-body experience” of playing a round with Woods.

“It was really special to be able to be out there with Tiger, and yeah, the crowd was more than anything I’ve ever played in front of for sure,” Jason Langer said. “I’m not that competitive these days. I play a couple amateur events a year. But definitely today was not something that I am used to.”

This tournament was Tiger Woods’ first public round of golf since he missed the cut at The Open Championship in July. He is three months removed from back surgery and has not revealed his playing plans for 2025. Asked if his promising weekend in Orlando was encouraging, he demurred.