[PHOTO: Mike Mulholland]
The narrative that Tiger Woods has softened with age is unequivocally true. That was on full display in practice at the PNC Championship, where the 15-time major champion’s pre-round routine was half warm-up, half reunion with old friends. It was almost impossible to wipe the gigantic smile off his face.
In between big bear hugs with Annika Sorenstam, Steve Stricker and Mark O’Meara, Woods and his son Charlie worked through the whole bag. They finished in the chipping area, where father and son practised a variety of shots, none more jaw-dropping than the greenside mega flop.
In fact, Tiger’s jaw literally dropped on one of Charlie’s high lobbers, a shot so impressive that dad – much like any of us would – declared that it was time to end the warm-up. Always end on a good one. That’s just science.
“We’re ending on that one right there,” Woods said, beaming with pride. “That was f—ing NASTY.”
Fortunately for us, PGA Tour senior content manager Casey Johnston captured the epic moment on camera:
https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1735670038995120601
This is what we call “striking content gold”.
Off went Team Woods to the putting green to roll a few before teeing off for the pro-am at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. On the opening hole, in a two-man ambrose format, Charlie made a ‘natural’ birdie, rendering dad completely useless. Nasty, nasty stuff.
