Tiger Woods and his son Charlie have smashed a record at the PNC Championship, despite agonisingly missing out on winning the event altogether. Team Langer – a duo consisting of German legend Bernhard Langer and his son Jason – came out on top at the event in Florida, but Woods Snr and Jnr played their part in attracting eyes to the tournament.
It’s claimed by Sports Media Watch that the opening round of the PNC Championship commanded 2.92m viewers – a whopping 147 per cent increase on the year prior. Unsurprisingly, the nine-figure audience was a new one-day record in the event’s 29-year history.
The second and final rounds would also score big figures, with an average of 1.42m viewers. Woods, who bagged 15 major titles during his time as a professional, was competing for the first time since missing the cut at The Open earlier this year.
It was son Charlie who stole the show though, with the 15-year-old nailing a hole-in-one at the Championship. It came on the 176-yard, par-three fourth hole at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, with Woods Jnr swinging with confidence, before reacting in delight as his ball eventually sunk into the hole.
Bouyed by his son’s achievement, Tiger gave him a gigantic hug, but Charlie admitted after the hole-in-one he didn’t believe he’d managed to complete the coveted feat. Commenting later in the day, he told the Golf Channel: “It was a perfect 7-iron, so I just kind of hit it. Down off the left, a little cut 7. It was awesome. I didn’t think it went in. I don’t believe anybody until I go up there and see it.”
Tiger was beaming with pride when quizzed on the ace, saying: “He [Charlie] has gotten better at every facet of the game. That’s a commitment to practising and developing as a player. I think that most of us forget he’s only 15 years old. I know he’s been doing this in front of the media for a long time but, being only 15, I think it’s incredible what he’s been able to accomplish so far and the ceiling that he has is unlimited. That was the thrill of a lifetime to be able to have that moment with Charlie, make his first hole-in-one, Sam [his daughter] on the bag, just our family and friends. That’s what this event is about. It’s about bonding and family.”
