Here we are again at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club. Since the time Tiger Woods debuted his son, Charlie Woods, at the 2020 PNC Championship, every outing has been a matter of debate, of stacking odds in favor or against Team Woods. They came agonizingly close to sniffing the title in 2021, only in their second outing. Last year, hopes were high after Woods decided to grace the Orlando greens once again. However, courtesy of an injury-laden year for the pop, the duo finished in eighth place.
This year, however, things are a little different. Tiger Woods finally went through surgery. He had already made his comeback at the Hero World Challenge. Although the former World No. 1 made some peculiar shots that cost him in the long run, he didn’t limp. Charlie Woods, too, has had a solid season. So, here we are asking ourselves, What are the odds? Can we see them winning together? How well is the father, and how able is his son to back him up? While there are promising signs, they both have to overcome their challenges.
At the recently concluded Hero World Challenge, which he hosted, Woods finished in the 16th position in an 18-man field. His approaches went haywire a few times. Drives fell a few yards short of where he wanted them to land. Moreover, Par-5 continued to bother him throughout. The former World No. 1 himself admitted that he didn’t play the par-5 holes the way he wanted to.
The Ritz-Carlton has four par-5 holes, all of which range from 531 yards to 583 yards. It would be interesting to witness how the veteran golfer tackles the challenge this week. Moreover, Woods admitted he couldn’t do many things he could easily do earlier. His body doesn’t twist the way he wants it to. Neither does his ankle, because they are semi-frozen, as Woods admitted in a chat with Another Golf Podcast.
Woods is “learning a new body.” The surgery, albeit curing his pain, has imposed strict sanctions on his body. After the PNC Championship Pro-Am as well, the 47-year-old admitted, “He is always sore.”
But it’s not just the body; his mind—the fortress no one could penetrate—has let its guards down as well. As was evident in the Hero World Challenge, Woods was dithering. The 82-time PGA Tour winner wasn’t sure about his drives or his approaches. In two minds, he took multiple shots and made wayward drives at the Bahamas.
Expectedly, Tiger Woods will rely on his 14-year-old kid more than he did last year. A lot will depend on the teenager and how well they can perform at this year’s PNC Championship. Is Charlie Woods ready?
Is Charlie Woods ready to take the mantle?
Charlie Woods, amidst all this, has changed his tee box. Last year, he teed up at the 6,124-yard box with Sir Nick Faldo and Nick Price. However, he decided to take up the tee a little further this time. The teenager will start the 6,578-yard box in the same place where John Daly, Jim Furyk, and Nelly Korda will tee off.
Charlie Woods has grown much in the last year. But whether he can blast a tee shot at 300 yards remains to be seen. Regardless, this will be a trial for the teenager, and much of Team Woods’s PNC Championship fate will depend on his power hits.
Moreover, despite his brilliant performance this season, his short game has raised concern. As per an earlier report from November, Woods Jr. scored only 33.33% on birdie putts. Ironically, his scores take a hit because of his propensity to make birdies. In fact, his coach admits as much.
Speaking to Golf.com, Woods Jr.’s high school coach revealed his go-for-broke playing style sometimes costs him. Like the mannerisms they share, Woods Jr. has also incurred the propensity for making birdies one after another. The go-for-broke style has also caused him trouble.
At certain times, the teenager goes after every hole to make birdies. However, poor decision-making often costs him a shot or two. Although his coach also admitted that the teenager is a sincere ‘student’ who doesn’t commit the same mistake, it remains to be seen if he controls his desire to make birdies when it’s riskier.
His pop was famous for his aggressive gameplay. However, Tiger Woods could also adapt his game to become risk-averse in clutch moments. Perhaps Woods Jr. is yet to inherit that from his father. At the age of 14, he has time at hand to improve on that. But as Woods certainly will rely on his son’s game to further their chances for a victory, Charlie Woods also has to shoulder the responsibility with more sincerity and maturity. At least until the 2023 PNC Championship.
