By:
Dylan Dethier
December 19, 2022
This week, Tiger was happy with Charlie — and the opposite method round, too.
Getty Photos
Welcome again to the Monday End, the place if this column runs too lengthy we’re going to penalty putts. Let’s get to it!
FIRST OFF THE TEE
What Tiger confirmed Charlie.
This week’s PNC was the primary time we’ve seen Charlie Woods do post-round interviews. And whereas these child interviews are one of many causes we love this occasion — assume Karl Stenson’s irreverence final yr or Will McGee’s sweetness this weekend — the stakes really feel fairly larger when it’s Charlie speaking due to who his father is. It’s comprehensible to be involved concerning the weight of expectations heaped on the 13-year-old son of the best golfer ever, particularly when a cute father-son golf clip can grow to be a viral rocket ship. Anyway, I’m not notably concerned about breaking down Charlie’s recreation; the Woodses had some candy moments and birdie runs en path to a T8 end. However I assumed it was fascinating to get Charlie’s perspective on Tiger.
Chatting with NBC’s Steve Sands after their first spherical, Charlie tackled, from a {golfing} angle, the not possible query of what it’s wish to be Tiger Woods’ son. He targeted on his dad’s newest comeback.
“It’s cool seeing how a lot he’s labored to get to the place he’s now. And the way — I wouldn’t say how dangerous it was, however how a lot he pushed by. It was simply actually cool to see.”
After the ultimate spherical on Sunday, Charlie doubled down on the identical thought.
“I really feel like I already knew what he was able to after which yesterday, that’s one of the best he’s ever performed, shortly, and that sort of shocked me a bit bit.”
There aren’t many photographs that Tiger Woods will hit the remainder of his life that we haven’t seen him hit earlier than. However Charlie has solely performed golf with a latest model of his father. Two years in the past, of their PNC debut, Tiger was staring down again surgical procedure. Final yr he was making his first on-course look since his horrifying automobile crash. This yr? Tiger was hobbled by plantar fasciitis and struggled to stroll, however scorching rattling can he hit a golf ball.
We’ll by no means know precisely what life has been like for Tiger behind the scenes of those newest comebacks, identical to Charlie received’t know what it was like to observe his father play in his mid-2000s prime. However Charlie does know what it’s been like at residence of late. It’s cool to see a child that’s happy with his dad.
The week additionally referred to as to thoughts the opposite time this yr that one in every of Tiger’s children defined him. We heard Sam Woods, Tiger’s daughter, talk about her father at his Corridor of Fame induction in March, when she highlighted Tiger’s presence away from the course.
“It’s been on the soccer fields and golf tournaments over time that [her brother] Charlie and I’ve begun to understand how well-known he really is,” she stated, cracking a smile. “I imply, how can a man who nonetheless FaceTimes his buddies to debate Marvel and DC timelines and who goes to Comedian-Con dressed as Batman be one of many biggest golfers that ever lived?”
WINNERS
Who received the week?
Vijay Singh and his son Qass received the precise PNC Championship of their sixteenth try. I do know what you’re considering: 16 makes an attempt?! However our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, was a infamous failure for a lot of his younger life, shedding jobs and elections left and proper. And when Albert Einstein was 16 he failed his faculty entrance examination.
“Failure is success in progress,” he stated later. (I suppose he may need stated it on the time, too, however it wouldn’t have meant a lot.)
It was a cool second for Crew Singh, who performed their final six holes in six beneath to put up a two-day rating of 26 beneath par.
“We needed this all yr, so simply to have it lastly is like — it’s virtually a dream come true,” Qass stated. “It’s going to be a reminiscence I’m going to have endlessly.”
“This can be a spotlight of my profession, successful with him,” Vijay added. “He’s performed this so many occasions and I needed to win so dangerous for him.”
TIGER TALK
Is your glass half-full?
Today what you see when Tiger Woods performs golf is determined by whether or not you’re a Tiger optimist or a Tiger realist.
Let’s begin with the “realist” case, as a result of it’s easy and easy. Tiger Woods will probably be 47 years previous earlier than 2022 is finished. And, nicely, he can’t stroll. Golf requires a whole lot of strolling.
As for the optimist’s case? You’ve heard Charlie’s testimony: his dad is hitting photographs he’s by no means seen earlier than.
Tiger’s additionally swinging it more durable than we’ve seen in a number of years. Whereas I feel it’s truthful to be skeptical of PNC Championship ball speeds — could possibly be some juiced radar weapons — Woods clearly confirmed he can hit the 180 mph vary. Not solely is that nicely above PGA Tour common, it’s even longer than his big-hitting enjoying accomplice Justin Thomas.
Thomas, who was 14th on the PGA Tour in driving distance a yr in the past, says Woods can hit it previous him (as he did a number of occasions all through the week).
“Day-after-day is completely different,” Thomas defined. “I imply, [Saturday] he was clearly shifting rather well, and clearly in the present day he wasn’t shifting as nicely.
“However yeah, we’ve hit balls at residence and I imply, I wasn’t joking yesterday after I stated it, when he’s feeling nicely, he’s longer than I’m with a driver. I’d have the ability to hit it farther than him if I’m going after one however persistently, I imply, he’s hitting it farther than I’m proper now.”
Thomas added that Woods would gladly commerce 10 yards to have the ability to stroll higher.
“However yeah, it’s very spectacular,” he stated. “You possibly can inform he’s very, very sturdy, very match proper now. It’s simply coping with the opposite points.”
As for Tiger? He was self-effacing about his recreation — “I didn’t hit many good ones,” he stated — however did acknowledge a pair towering 4-irons.
“It was principally me rolling the clock again a bit bit, and hitting one of many previous ones,” he stated of 1 strategy.
He nonetheless has some palms, too:
POWER HOUR
Need 10 extra yards?
Justin Thomas isn’t simply Tiger Woods’ buddy! He additionally performs some golf of his personal, and that golf was practically adequate to win this weekend when he and his father Mike shot 24 beneath to complete T2.
However there was one fascinating nugget he handed alongside about hitting driver: When he actually desires to achieve again for some further yardage he picks up his left heel on his backswing after which lets it rip.
Simply how large a distinction does it make?
“It’s in all probability, I might say three- to five-mile-an-hour membership velocity and doubtless 4, six, seven ball velocity,” Thomas stated on Sunday. “I do know I really feel snug that if I hit it stable I can fly it 315 or so, possibly 320 doing that. This course may be very, very beneficiant off the tee and if my dad hits a superb drive, I undoubtedly have the chance to do it out right here.”
COACHING CORNER
Yip ideas.
Once I see that Tiger Woods has given Lee Trevino a placing tip on the right way to treatment the yips, my ears perked up. Two of the golf’s most intriguing minds speaking store on essentially the most vexing query in golf?
Trevino references his son (and PNC accomplice) Daniel, who is outwardly battling the yips. And he demonstrates a placing drill Woods confirmed him the place he places his left thumb on prime of the membership as he makes a stroke along with his proper hand.
“So the man says to Daniel — he’s received the placing yips — he says, you inform him to begin placing one-handed and don’t transfer his hand again,” Trevino explains.
I kind of perceive what he’s speaking about. One thing about feeling the putter head on the best way again. One thing about releasing the membership on the best way by. However I’ve as many questions as solutions and simply needed to share to be able to be equally vexed.
NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Monday End HQ.
It snowed on Sunday evening in Seattle, already the second time this winter we’ve had critical accumulation within the Emerald Metropolis. Many of the storm occurred after darkish, in order I headed in the direction of mattress I switched on our outdoors gentle only for a second to see how a lot had fallen. As an inch of snow appeared on the entrance walkway I received hit with a wave of recollections from winters passed by, flicking on the surface gentle at residence in Massachusetts to see what had fallen. It’s a nostalgic time of yr and I hope you’re all gearing up for an excellent vacation season.
WHAT’S NEXT
3 issues to observe this week.
1. The 9-9-9 Problem.
Final spring we trekked to Colorado to tackle the famed 9-9-9-9-9 Problem. That’s a pleasant full, enjoyable day (9 ski runs, 9 golf holes, 9 innings of baseball) plus a enjoyable twist (9 beers) plus a splash of distress (9 scorching canine).
See how we did and subscribe for extra offbeat {golfing} enjoyable coming quickly:
2. Shaq Vs.
I came across a spotlight reel from this match pitting Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Kim towards a left-handed Charles Barkley plus Bubba Watson. What a time capsule!
Stumbled throughout this previous episode of “SHAQ VS.” and oooh child what a time capsule.-Celtics middle Shaquille O’Neal
-playing golf
-with Anthony Kim
-against Bubba Watson
-and Charles Barkley
-who is enjoying left-handed?Complete factor feels prefer it occurred in an alternate actuality. pic.twitter.com/dAKVkMVucs— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) December 13, 2022
3. Will McGee’s largest fan.
Once I was in sixth grade I actually wasn’t buying and selling TikToks with my math trainer; even MySpace wasn’t invented but. Nonetheless, fairly enjoyable to see Susan Morris out on the weekend pulling for her excited younger scholar.
[Clears throat, smirks]
We’ll see you subsequent yr!
Dylan Dethier
Golf.com Editor
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams Faculty, the place he majored in English, and he’s the writer of 18 in America, which particulars the yr he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automobile and enjoying a spherical of golf in each state.