Somehow, Tiger is back to playing tournament golf.
After his horrific car wreck in which he nearly lost his leg in early 2021, the GOAT is back to tournament golf. He teed it up with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship to cap off the year.
Here are seven things we learned from yet another comeback.
1. He’s in Good Spirits
Tiger has an attitude of gratitude at this point in his life. He’s grateful to be alive, to have both legs, and to be able to play golf… not to mention, tee it up on live TV.
As he’s discussed openly, there was a 50/50 chance of amputating his leg. So to be able to play golf with Charlie and finish T-2 at the PNC Championship is unreal.
2. Tiger’s Speed is Still There
Tiger is a meta-human when it comes to recovery.
I honestly didn’t think we’d see him tee it up again until mid 2022 (if ever). But a few weeks after his “Making progress” video, he was back on the course.
While he wasn’t bombing it like he did in 2000, he still had plenty of speed.
As the announcers mentioned, it’s going to take some time for him to adjust to his leg and pushing off on the downswing. But I’m confident he’ll get close to where he was pre-injury in terms of ball speed.
3. Best Iron Player in the Game
Even though he’s not hitting it as far as guys like Justin Thomas, he still has one thing going for him – his iron game. Arguably the greatest iron player of all time, he showed that every day in the 2021 PNC Championship.
Whether it was flighting wedges to five feet or roping long irons from 200+ yards, the guy is incredible with irons.
4. The Most Clutch Putter Ever?
Charlie’s swing looks better than ever, but the putter went a little cold on day one of the event. Not to worry though, when your dad is Tiger, you know he’s going to make putts.
Since he wasn’t able to swing much the past year, one thing that he worked on a ton is his putting. Which was already world-class before the injury, so look for him and the flat stick to make magic during his triumphant return.
5. Walking is the Next Hurdle
While Tiger’s game is definitely coming back to form, the hardest part now is walking 18 holes. The average PGA Tour course is 7,000+ yards and rarely a flat walk, so this will be the next big hurdle.
Luckily, the PNC allowed carts, so Tiger didn’t agitate his injuries much.
When asked if he would ever get a cart exemption in a PGA Tour event, he quickly shut down the idea. While his days of running long distances are gone, let’s hope that with time he can get the stamina to walk 72 holes again.
6. The Woods Are The Most Entertaining Figures in the Game
Tiger has always drawn the biggest crowds in golf. If they didn’t have a fan limit, I’m sure there would have been double the capacity to watch him compete again at the PNC.
But he and Charlie also brought in huge TV numbers as well. NBC announced that the total audience from Sunday was 2.3 million, while the 2021 Open Championship only had 2.1 million!
That’s right, Tiger and his son brought more attention to a small tournament than a major championship! Needless to say, if Tiger is teeing it up, we’re all there to watch it.
7. Tiger and Charlie Will Win the PNC
Despite not playing any events in 2021 and rehabbing in bed for three months, the Woods duo nearly won. They went on a historic 11 birdies in a row streak and shot 57 on Sunday to nearly sneak in the victory.
While they came up just short, one thing is inevitable – the Woods father-son combo will hold the trophy sooner rather than later. And we can’t wait to watch it.
Now, we all look ahead and wait for Tiger to commit to his next PGA Tour event in 2022.
What was your biggest takeaway from watching Tiger and Charlie compete in the 2021 PNC Championship?
Make sure to let us know in the comments below!
Written by Michael Leonard
