ORLANDO, Fla. – Tiger Woods never had so much fun losing in a playoff. For the 67-year-old Bernhard Langer, it never gets old winning the PNC Championship with his son.
They all delivered a riveting show Sunday, from 15-year-old Charlie Woods making his first hole-in-one to Langer hitting the shot that ultimately mattered, an 18-foot eagle putt on the first playoff hole for his record sixth title in the tournament where everyone leaves happy.
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“That was the thrill of a lifetime to be able to have that moment with Charlie, make his first hole-in-one, (daughter) Sam on the bag, just our family and friends. That’s what this event is about. It’s about bonding and family,” Woods said.
“I know we didn’t win, but it was the fact that we competed,” he said. “No one really made a mistake out there. We had to earn it, and that’s what you want to have. Hats off to Langers. They played amazing.”
Langer and 24-year-old son Jason won for the second straight year, and Langer became the only player to win the PNC Championship back-to-back with two sons as partners. He won twice (2005 and 2006) with Stefan, who caddied Sunday for his little brother.
What made this one special was the opponent.
Woods, playing for the first time since a sixth surgery on his lower back in September, was moving well and delivering key shots in a duel at such a high level that both teams made only four pars and shot 15-under 57 in the scramble format.
Woods hit driver off the deck on the par-5 14th. Langer followed by hitting driver out of a bunker on that hole and nearly finding the green, landing in a greenside bunker.
“One of the best shots I've ever seen,” Woods said of Langer, who turned pro three years before Woods was born.
Jason Langer, who played college golf at Penn, is an investment banker in New York who doesn't play all that much. But he handled the stage — playing with Tiger Woods isn't easy for seasoned pros — like he had been there before.
“I’m just so proud of him,” Langer said. “First time playing with Tiger in the spotlight. It’s not easy. A lot of people are moving. They are really not always interested in what we do. But very proud of him the way he handled himself. He hit a couple of fantastic iron shots into 18 to give us the opportunity to make birdie and then eagle.”
The two-time Masters champion was equally impressed with Woods and son for embracing the spirit of this tournament amid competition so tight that neither team led by more than one shot the entire round. They broke the tournament scoring record at 28-under 116.
Woods broke into a big smile when Langer made the winner. The real thrill was watching Charlie hit 7-iron from 175 yards on the par-3 fourth that covered the flag, took a few bounces and rolled in.
Woods hugged his son as hard as he did when winning the Masters in 2019, giving him a playful shove and then reminding the high school sophomore that he had to buy a round of drinks for everyone.
“I'm broke,” Charlie replied.
Even in defeat, Charlie said the hole-in-one, the great closing round, the playoff, everything, was the most fun he's had on the golf course.
“It's not even close,” he said.
In the playoff, Langer had the advantage on the par 5 because of his age. Anyone over 65 played the third set of tees, which were 82 yards ahead of where Woods had to play and 52 yards ahead of where the two sons were hitting.
Charlie just reached the front of the green with his second shot. His 25-foot eagle putt hit the edge of the hole but had too much pace. Woods missed low. Jason Langer hit his approach to 18 feet, narrowly missed the putt and left it to his ageless father to make the winner.
For Woods, it was his first time in a playoff since Zach Johnson beat him at Sherwood in the 2013 World Challenge.
On a chilly afternoon, every seat was filled in the grandstand behind the 18th green, with fans in jackets packed down the side of the fairway. It was entertaining, along with a rare chance to see Woods on the golf course.
It capped another amazing year for Langer, a two-time Masters champion. He tore his Achilles tendon playing pickleball at the start of the year, recovered in four months and extended his streak on the 50-and-older PGA Tour Champions by winning for the 18th consecutive season.
And now he has six titles in the PNC Championship — four with Jason, two with Stefan.
No one else was closer than five shots. Padraig Harrington and son Paddy were among those who tied for third, and they had a moment of their own when Paddy made a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth hole.
“I was too excited. You couldn’t have talked to me,” Harrington said of watching his son make an ace. “I was gone. This is a great event, and all of it is great. And we try and play well, but that was sheer joy.”
The tournament is for winners of a major on any tour or The Players Championship and a family member. The purse is barely over $1 million. Team Langer won $200,000, the amount of the new Ryder Cup stipend for Americans.
At a time of big money and big disruption in golf, this was refreshing.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf