The guy with a shock on his shirt and a Tiger head cap on the driver looked pretty good.
So is Tiger Woods.
Charlie Woods, the 11-year-old son of the 15-time major champion, made his national television debut on Saturday in the PNC Championship. And, according to his father, he played just like at home.
It doesn’t matter that he followed about 250 people, more than his father did at the Masters. Charlie confidently twisted his club before the shots, quickly lifted the tee off his units and even pumped his fist into the third par-5 hole with a 3-foot-3 wood for the eagle.
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They finished the scramble format at 10 under 62, four shots behind Matt Kuchar and son Cameron.
“I don’t really care about my game,” Woods said. “I just make sure Charlie has the time in his life. And he does.”
Charlie Woods is the youngest to play in this 36-hole event that began in 1995 for major champions and their sons, and now includes all family members. He loves the game enough to start playing in a few junior events and had no doubts in front of a crowd or cameras.
A television room was positioned about 15 feet to Charlie’s right, on the opening floor of The Ritz-Carlton Club in Grande Lakes, and he was quick with his swing, pulling him to the left. They used the dowel and put his father on two legs – Charlie made the bird’s well.
This was the last time Team Woods used Tiger’s tee shot in a long hole to number 15. It helped that the 11-year-old was able to use a tee ahead, 100 yards ahead of the PGA Tour players on some holes.
Woods was not surprised by what he saw at home. It was different – a professional tournament, a scorecard that had to be signed, a television audience. But it sure looked the same.
“I’ve seen this over time. Probably not many people have seen it,” Woods said. “A lot of the photos he hit, I saw them at The Medalist’s house all year. The junior events he played in, he hit a lot of them. It was a matter of stringing them for 3 1 / 2 hours. It’s a totally different business. “
The swing was smooth. The mannerisms were familiar. Charlie belted one on the fifth par-5 hole, bending down to grab his shirt while the ball was still in flight. Justin Thomas, playing in a group with his father Mike, smiled and said, “God, you’re as much as your father.” While waiting for Thomas to put the putt, the father and son stood side by side, their right leg crossed over their left ankle.
The woods were 8 under nine holes, covered by Charlie making an 8-foot chick on the number 9 and introducing it when the ball was a few feet away. Just like my father.
The child was playing in other ways.
During the pro-am, Charlie hit one through the fairway in the trees. Mike Thomas, a longtime junior club professional, was in the front group and playfully left a note next to Charlie’s ball that read “Draw Hole!” On Saturday, Mike Thomas entered a bunker on the short par-4 13.
“Typically, Woods kept the paper,” said Justin Thomas. “My dad hit the bunker and took that exact paper and put it behind the ball. So a little karma there.”
Justin Thomas spends a lot of time with them at home, so he knew how to play with the baby. Even so, Thomas said he had a different kind of nerves – for his father and for Charlie.
“I knew it would amaze a lot of people,” Thomas said. “It was great to see him modeling the ball in both directions and hitting great photos. We probably feel what our parents felt growing up watching us play. You want to do well, but you can’t do anything about it.
“He was competitive, he was cheerful, he was memorable and we had a few jokes.”
And I’ll get another day.
They finished with a bird on par-5 18 – over the water to the left of the fairway, a small group of people posted a banner on the bridge that read “Charlie Woods Fan Club – and were tied for sixth place.
“The kid is a player. He’s a miller. He’s competitive. But he’s so young,” Justin Thomas said. “I pull him. I want him to keep it fun, to keep him easy. He may be ugly with what people say. Expectations will be high, but I hope he stays easy to manage for him. I hope he stays in himself.
“There are 11, 12, 13-year-olds sitting on their couch at home, who can’t hit those photos in the range. And they do it in front of a crowd and on national television.”