Tiger Woods returning to play with son, Charlie, in PNC Championship on Dec. 18
Tiger Woods is officially returning to competitive action.
The 15-time major champion announced that he will make his competitive debut at the PNC Championship, roughly 10 months after his right leg was injured in a car crash. Furthermore, the 45-year-old golf superstar confirmed that he will partner with his 12-year-old son, Charlie.
Although the PNC Championship, which begins Dec. 18, is not an official PGA Tour event, his commitment to playing in the tournament is a positive sign in terms of his recovery from the car accident.
The Associated Press had the details on that Feb. 23 incident:
"Woods was driving to a Los Angeles course for a television shoot on Feb. 23 when police say he was driving about 85 mph along a winding, coastal suburban road. The SUV crashed through a median and plunged down a hill.
"Doctors said he shattered the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg in multiple locations. Those were stabilized by a rod in the tibia. A combination of screws and pins were used to stabilize additional injuries in the ankle and foot."
Speculation about Woods' return to action ramped up just before Thanksgiving, when the all-time co-leader in PGA Tour victories (82) posted a video with the caption "making progress" as he hit at a driving range.
Video of Woods hitting at the Hero World Challenge over the weekend only further fueled anticipation about a return.
Woods and his son competed in the PNC Championship –– formerly known as the Father-Son Challenge –– a year ago and finished seventh.
There were plenty of highlights from their pairing, including young Charlie drilling what announcers believed to be a five-wood off the fairway 175 yards to within mere feet of the cup.
He then rolled in the putt for an eagle.
There was also Charlie evoking his father's iconic fist pump after rolling a long putt for birdie and much more.
In an interview with Golf Digest, Woods spoke about using his time away from the game to watch Charlie play and the advice he gave his son:
"I went to golf tournaments to watch him play," Woods said, "and I’m looking at some of these scores he’s shooting, and I said, ‘How the hell are you shooting such high scores? I gotta go check this out.’ So I’d watch him play, and he’s going along great. He has one bad hole, he loses his temper, his temper carries him over to another shot and another shot, and it compounds itself.
"I said, ‘Son, I don’t care how mad you get. Your head could blow off for all I care, just as long as you’re 100 percent committed to the next shot. That’s all that matters. That next shot should be the most important shot in your life. It should be more important than breathing. Once you understand that concept, then I think you’ll get better.' And as the rounds went on throughout the summer, he’s gotten so much better."
Woods also shed light on his future in the sport, admitting to Golf Digest that his days as a full-time participant on the tour are likely over.
"I think something that is realistic is playing the tour one day — never full-time ever again — but pick and choose, just like Mr. [Ben] Hogan did," Wood said. "Pick and choose a few events a year, and you play around that."
It turns out the PNC Championship is going to be one of those events. With 36 holes in total, the competition will give Woods an opportunity to ease back into the game. He can use a cart if he wants and won't have to hit every shot or take swings at uneven lies in the two-round scramble.
Plus, he'll have his son there to help shoulder the load.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
