ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods isn’t the only member of his family to can produce big moments. His 15-year-old son Charlie made his first ace Sunday in the PNC Championship.
Woods was more excited than if he had made the hole-in-one himself.
Charlie Woods hit 7-iron from 175 yards on the par-3 fourth hole at the Ritz-Carlton Club Orlando during the final round of the tournament that pairs mostly major champions with family members.
He didn’t even know it went in the hole. A large gallery by the green began wildly cheering, as did another group of fans on the other side of the hole, most of them holding up their index finger — some downward to indicate it went in the hole, some upward to show his score. Television cameras finally confirmed it for him.
Woods gave a hard embrace to his son, then playfully shoved him away.
“First one,” Charlie said as cameras surrounded him.
Better yet, it gave them a temporary share of the lead. This is the fifth straight year Woods and his son are playing the 36-hole tournament.
Tiger and Charlie ran off five straight birdies on the back nine Saturday for a 13-under 59 in the scramble format, giving them a share of the lead heading into the final round.
It was Woods’ first competition since having back surgery in September. Woods said he scheduled that surgery — the sixth on his lower back in the last 10 years — to be sure he recovered in time to play with his son for the fifth straight year.