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”.

Charlie Woods just made his first ever hole-in-one!!

GOLF Channel pic.twitter.com/yEvN3HuYWP

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 22, 2024

“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.

Golfer Tiger Woods is still hopeful of coming to India for a competitive event, something he has not been able to do for the 10 years he has been Hero’s Global Partner. Then, there is Pawan Munjal, a close friend of Woods, who is thrilled to have extended his partnership with the star-studded Hero World Challenge for another six years, till 2030, and with Woods to continue as their global partner till 2030. A third thing that brought a big smile to Munjal’s face was that he was able to bring to the Hero World Challenge field three players of Indian origin – Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai.

The tournament, featuring 20 of the world’s top golfers, will commence on Thursday.

Munjal said, “If you remember, we had Anirban (Lahiri) at one time here, which was a great thing to happen. He was in the top-30 then. To have three boys of Indian origin in a field of the best and top-20 is a huge, huge thing for India.

“Me and many of you have been looking for an Indian star on the golfing map to really grow the game in India. I’m sure even if they’re not Indians but they are of Indian origin, I’m sure the whole nation is going to be very, very excited and very proud about this fact.” Indian-American Theegala is ranked 12th in the world, Indo-British Rai is 21st and Indian-American Bhatia is 31st as the entire field of 20 comprises players inside the top-40 in the world.

On the extension of their relationship with the tournament, Munjal said, “It was easy. We’ve had, as I said, 10 years of an incredible journey together which has benefited both of us, the foundation, Hero’s brand globally. There were no two thoughts about it.” Woods commented: “Well, this is exciting news for all of us at the foundation to be able to have Hero MotoCorp who have supported us here for the last 10 years and to have this relationship and our partnership continue until 2030 is truly amazing. We’re able to help and serve so many more youth because of it.

“All the players who’ve come down here over the years have supported this event, some of them have started their own foundations because of the impact that Pawan and I have had on this event and our various charities.

“We’ve had a great relationship and great partnership for the last 10 years, so I think it was a very natural thing for us to continue this relationship going forward through 2030 and hopefully we can make it better in the next five or so years, better than it was for the first 10 and then hopefully even bigger into the future.” Hero and Tiger Woods Foundation came together for the HWC in 2014 and will now be together till at least 2030, making it one of longest relationships on the PGA Tour.

Woods, who has often chosen HWC, which he hosts, as an event to test his fitness and preparation ahead of the following season, admitted, “Yeah, I am disappointed. I’m not physically ready yet to compete at this level. The times I have come back here, I was ready to start competing and playing again. Unfortunately, not this time. I still need to keep training to give myself the best chance going into next year and the events ahead.” On the issue of the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which funds the LIV series, Woods said, “I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this. Even if it did, we’re still at the regulations of the DOJ (Department of Justice) saying it’s giving us hominus dominus that it will go through.

“Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the DOJ’s hands, but we wish we would have had something more concrete and further along than we are right now. But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily. From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive. But, yes, definitely moving.” On his return to competitive golf, Woods is still desirous and hopeful.

“The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we’re playing cards or we’re playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing,” said Woods.

The field at the Hero World Challenge, scheduled from Dec 5 to 8, is led by world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who is also the FedEX champion, two-time Masters champion (2022 and 2024) and also the defending champion here.

Shane Lowry moved into the lead of the 152nd British Open at seven under par after his second round at Royal Troon on Friday as a tame Tiger Woods limped to 14 over to miss the cut. Woods is not the only big name to struggle in the blustery conditions on Scotland’s west coast as Rory McIlroy will begin his second round at seven over and likely needing an under par round to make the weekend. Lowry had been usurped at the top of the leaderboard late on Thursday by unheralded Englishman Daniel Brown, who posted a six under 65.

However, the Irishman, who won his sole major at the British Open in 2019, recovered from a dramatic double bogey on the 11th that threatened to derail his charge to post a two under par round of 69.

Lowry leads by two shots from Brown, who showed little sign of nerves under the spotlight in his first major, with a steady 72 to sit at five under.

“To be honest, I was happy enough leaving there with a six. It wasn’t a disaster,” said Lowry on his travails at 11.

“To be leading this tournament after two days, it’s why you come here.”

Lowry was on the charge as he hit the turn in 34 thanks to birdies on the first, fifth and eighth.

The world number 33, though, was rocked as after a wayward tee shot at the 11th, he veered way left into thick bushes.

Remarkably Lowry’s ball was found, but deemed unplayable forcing him to play a drop and lose two shots.

He bounced back impressively picking up two shots in the final three holes.

World number one Scottie Scheffler has Lowry in his sights as the American moved into a share of fourth at two under despite dropping a shot at 18.

Scheffler has already won six times this year, including his second Masters title in April.

A monster putt at the 14th and a birdie on the par-five 16th took the American within striking range before a costly bogey on the last left him still five adrift of Lowry.

– Woods’ worst ever Open –

Woods’ tournament came to a sorry end after two rounds that will do little to quell doubts over whether he should continue to put a battered body through the strain of looking to add to his 15 major titles.

The 48-year-old hit back at suggestions earlier in the week from former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie that he should retire to preserve his status as one of the sport’s all-time legends.

Woods has stressed he feels physically better of late as he continues to fight back from the severe leg injuries he suffered in a car crash in 2021.

“I just need to keep progressing like that and then eventually start playing more competitively and start getting into kind of the competitive flow again,” he said.

But the three-time British Open champion cut a sorry figure as he trudged around the Troon links with his two-round score leaving him in 149th out of the 154 players still active in the tournament.

His score of 156 over two rounds matches his worst ever at a major with the 2015 US Open and is his poorest at a British Open by three shots.

Strong winds ensured low scoring remained difficult with the sixth, which had been the longest hole in British Open history on Thursday at 623 yards, reduced by 20 yards due to the conditions.

Attention later turns to McIlroy’s attempt to recover from a disastrous opening round of 78 with the projected cut sitting at four over.

Scottish Open champion Bob MacIntyre’s dreams of a first major on home soil unravelled as he dropped eight shots in his first four holes to drop to nine over.