ORLANDO, FL – Tiger Woods did his best again Friday to play down expectations surrounding his return to golf, but even he can’t help himself once in a while.
So he flashed a bit of anger when a shot on a tee hit his toe into the ninth hole during the PNC Championship professional game. The ball’s flight was less than satisfying, and Woods grabbed the tee off the ground in disgust.
Only for his 12-year-old son Charlie to taunt him: “Nice shot.”
Tiger shot that shirt at Charlie’s back, everyone laughed, and the run continued at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club with Woods remarkably present even in that position less than 10 months after a horrific car accident that badly damaged his right leg and foot.
Woods, who admitted he was nervous about taking the hits while spectators watched for fear of being hit, said, “It was a great day. It was great to be back here to play. Being here with my son. We had an absolute blast.”
A year ago it was at the same tournament that Woods played any competitive golf game. Team up with Charlie to tie for seventh place in the 20-team event, with one player required to be the main champ, along with a family member.
Charlie stole the show a year ago and was impressed with his game and mannerisms that seemed very similar to those of his father.
Just a few days later, Woods underwent a fifth back surgery, and his condition for the 2021 season was in doubt when he was involved in the accident that left him in hospital for three weeks before a lengthy rehabilitation.
But it was up to Tiger again, and the fact that he was shooting footage in a public place as television cameras came on shortly after a devastating accident also came as a surprise to him in many ways.
“Yes and no,” Woods said. “If you ask me after those three months in bed, [if] I’ll be here, I was going to give you a different answer. But there are no days off. We worked every day. Even on the days when I wasn’t feeling well, we were still working on something. So every day, there was no day off all the time except for three months in bed. ”
In many ways, it was like antiquity. Cady Joe LaCava carried the bag, and his eldest son Joe Jr carried the Charlie bag. Tiger’s girlfriend, Erica Hermann, who usually skips a pro, has been there occasionally to drive a golf cart and enjoy the scene, somewhat concerned about the whole experience.
Woods’ longtime friend, Rob McNamara, was there to watch all aspects of his swing and his play while offering words of encouragement to Charlie.
The difference, of course, was the golf cart, which Woods is allowed to use on this 36-hole event that begins on Saturday.
This will not be allowed when he returns to the PGA Tour anytime it becomes possible. Woods, who turns 46 on December 30, admitted once again that he’s out of reach. But can he petition to use a cart at some point? Due to the 2001 Supreme Court ruling by Casey Martin, he can apply under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
He said, “No, I won’t, no, definitely not. Not for a PGA Tour event, no. That’s not who I am now. That’s not what I’ve always been, and if I can’t play at that level, I can’t play at that level.”
Woods is clearly not near that level now. There were many good shots, especially with short clubs. Woods was sharp around the greens, hitting some nice wedge ways, and even pounding a 320-yard motor into hole 11.
But most of his shots were within 280 yards, and after 11, he played sparingly, by design.
“From everything that’s happened, I’m amazed that he’s here,” said Nota Begai, Woods’ long-time friend and former teammate at Sanford and Golf Canal. “He’s in a position to compete is fantastic. He moves well and looks good.”
“There’s no stamina. So it’s like he’s playing on the field. He has a lot of full ups and downs every day. And he knows it. It’s good for him to be in a place where he’s doing well. That comes from a lot of maturity. And dealing with the reality of an accident could have been disastrous.
Woods has shown some signs of distress. At times, his walking would have been slow, and while he might not have done so limping, it was obvious that his right leg and right foot were bothering him. That’s why he didn’t take many shots, just to save himself.
He said, “I still have a long way to go in this rehab. Like I said, I don’t have the stamina to be here to play at Tour level. That’s different. I’ve seen him there. I can hit here, drop a ball here, hit some pegs.”
“But if you want to get out there and you have 220 yards and you know you have to hit 3 or 4 irons and miss the ball in the right spot, then make certain shots and one hit determines whether you win or lose, that’s a very different mindset from what we have here this week. I’m not there yet.
Woods and Charlie play at 12:18 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be grouped with Justin Thomas and his father, Mike.
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