There is not much more you can do to win a championship. A round of 57 strokes, a hole-in-one, and equalling the tournament record. All of this was achieved this Sunday by Tiger Woods and his son Charlie to conquer the PNC Championship. In 99 percent of scenarios, they should have won the belt that accredits the winner of this endearing Christmas event since 1995, but there is a one percent called Bernhard Langer who was ahead today. The iron curtain. A gentleman who has been winning golf tournaments for 40 years.
Don Bernardo and his son Jason claimed victory at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Florida after defeating Tiger and Charlie on the first playoff hole. They won in style, the only way to beat the Woods today, with a sensational eagle, sinking a putt of about five metres. Of course, it was dad Langer who made it with his broomstick putter, although all credit must go to Jason for his fabulous second shot. It is Bernhard’s sixth victory in the PNC Championship, the fourth with his son Jason, 24 years old, a magnificent amateur golfer who works in the financial world.
Tiger’s smile upon seeing Langer sink the winning putt said it all. It was something like, my goodness, he’s done it again, once more sinking a mid-range putt to win a tournament. Langer mode. The man of steel. 67 years old. Incredible.
Bernhard Langer is INCREDIBLE!
The 67-year-old walks it off in playoff @PNCChampionship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/JIAfMrSuaW
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) December 22, 2024
The final round of the PNC Championship was a spectacle, a delight. The head-to-head between the Langers and the Woods ranks high in the top of the best golf days in 2024. An extraordinary exchange of shots. A very high level of golf. Yes, the conditions were perfect, yes, not a breath of wind, yes, the flags were set up favourably and the greens rolled like carpets, but you have to be there and shoot 15 under par, just one stroke away from the lowest round in the history of this tournament.
The Woods took the initiative from the start, beginning with a magnificent birdie by Tiger on the 1st hole from off the fairway and in a very bad position. We say Tiger because he did it all himself, the drive, the second shot, and the putt. However, Charlie contributed his part. In fact, if we had to choose, we would say he was a notch above his father overall. He is powerful off the tee, hits very good shots with a lot of intent, his short game is exceptional, he putts like an angel, and he has shown he can handle pressure very well.
He demonstrated this on the tee shot of the 18th hole, the last of the regular tournament, with Tiger out of position. “We need a good one, Charlie,” said the 15-time Major champion. “Got it,” replied the 15-year-old without flinching. And he nailed the drive to the centre of the fairway. Or with the magnificent approach on the 18th to secure the birdie with the Langers pressing with a long eagle putt. Not to mention, of course, the hole-in-one, the first of his life, which he achieved on the 4th. Tiger celebrated it more than Charlie himself.
Tiger was solid, hitting good shots when the situation was tight. He also missed some, which is normal given his situation, not having competed since the last Open Championship and with yet another surgery behind him. He was better than expected, although he is right when he says he still has a way to go to be competitive at the highest level. Will he be again? It seems difficult, but betting against Tiger is always a bad idea.
The Woods had a great opportunity to win the tournament on the 17th hole. The Langers barely made par, and Tiger left himself a reasonable birdie chance of about five metres. It wasn’t an easy putt, with a somewhat ambiguous break, and neither of them made it. They would have gone to the 18th with a one-stroke lead and had the victory in hand. Everyone knows that you have to finish off the Langers when they are down. There’s no other way.
Hats off to Bernhard. With the number of tournaments he has won, only 47 in the last 17 years on the PGA Tour Champions, he still has the hunger for victory. Because today he held the pair together at all times. Jason had brilliant moments, as expected, like the two second shots on the 18th, regular hole and playoff, but it was dad Langer who allowed them to reach the 18th alive, with impressive second shots and a lethal putter.
The PNC Championship was a fantastic way to close the year. Tiger and Charlie, if nothing prevents it, will return next year to try to win it for the first time, and they will once again face Bernhard Langer… Always Langer.
