I can still do it, says Tiger Woods on winning on PGA Tour
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Tiger Woods and son Charlie on the 13th green during the final round of the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.
PHOTO: AFP
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ORLANDO – Tiger Woods feels that he can still triumph on the PGA Tour and was full of appreciation after he and son Charlie carded a final-round 61 at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida on Dec 17.
With his 16-year-old daughter Sam caddying, the pair shot a sparkling 11-under second round to finish tied for fifth at the event formerly known as the Father/Son Challenge.
“To have both my kids out there the last two days has been so special,” said Woods. “Just grateful for us to be able to have these types of experiences.”
Charlie, 14, did an emphatic fist pump reminiscent of his father after chipping in for birdie on the ninth hole as Woods looked on with a broad smile across his face.
Woods said his surgically repaired right ankle
“A lot of things are aching a lot more than my ankle, which is the way it goes,” said Woods, who turns 48 on Dec 30.
“We’ve been working out hard, been able to recover. We’ve been training every day, which is great.
“It’s been nice to knock off a lot of the rust and some of the doubt that I’ve had because quite frankly, I haven’t hit a shot that counted in a long time.”
The Hero World Challenge was the former world No. 1’s first event since withdrawing during the Masters in April to have his ankle fused.
The 15-time Major champion has kept a limited competition schedule after a 2021 car crash left him with a serious leg injury and said the plan for 2024 was to compete in one tournament a month.
Woods, who was able to use a golf cart in Florida but will not have that luxury on the PGA Tour, said he still had the skills to win and it is now a question of endurance and consistency.
“I know I can still do it,” Woods said. “I can still hit the golf ball. I can still chip. I can still putt.
“Granted it’s also putting it all together for 72 holes. That’s the challenging part of it.”
Team Woods finished six shots behind winners Bernhard Langer and his son Jason, who fired a 13-under 59 for a 25-under 119 total in the second and final round to edge out David Duval and son Brady (61) by two strokes.
Defending champion Vijay Singh and son Qass were placed third at 22 under with a 62, a stroke ahead of Retief Goosen and son Leo (63).
The tournament at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club featured 20 pairings of a winner of a men or women’s Major or the Players Championship and a family member who does not hold playing status on a professional tour.
“It’s always special whether you win or not.
“Just being here is like the Olympics,” the senior Langer said after collecting a fifth title, tying the record of Raymond Floyd’s team in the 26-year history of the tournament.
“They only take 20 teams and there’s probably 25 on the waiting list that would love to be here.
“It’s always a wonderful thing to get an invitation to come and play here, and as you all know, I’ve got four kids, played with all four of them, and we have a lot of wonderful memories.”
Langer, making his 18th appearance in this scramble-format event, also won in 2005 and 2006 with son Stefan and 2014 and 2019 with Jason.
Jason said he won’t lean too much on the bragging rights he now has over his brother.
“I was saying earlier that, yeah, it’s always nice to have something on my older brother,” said the 22-year-old. “The good one was being the youngest winner here because he can never take that one back. But this one’s nice, too.” REUTERS
