Just days after skipping out on the Hero World Challenge, where he said he was “not tournament sharp yet,” Tiger Woods will play in next week’s PNC Championship.
Woods announced the news on Tuesday. He will play with his son Charlie again, the fifth time they have done so. The Woods father-son duo finished in a tie for fifth last year while John Daly and his son, John Daly II, won. Team Woods also finished runner-up to the Daly’s in 2021.
But this parent-child exhibition differs significantly from a regular PGA Tour event or even last week’s Hero World Challenge. It’s only 36 holes, and players can use golf carts while playing. The field consists of only 20 major champions and their children, many of whom are on the Champions Tour or well past their prime.
Hence, Woods can ride around and not worry about traversing a grueling golf course like Augusta National over a 72-hole span. He can drive a cart and not walk as much, all while relying on Charlie to carry the team.
Woods, who will turn 49 at the end of the month, had another back surgery in September. He has struggled to sustain any levels of excellence in recent years, especially after his near-fatal car crash in February 2021. His most recent surgery stemmed from pains he had in his leg, which doctors almost amputated after the accident.
“I didn’t think my back would go like it did this year,” Woods said on Dec. 3.
“It was quite painful throughout the end of the year, and hence, I had another procedure done to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg.”
This past September’s operation marked Woods’ sixth back surgery overall.
“I didn’t have a spasm, I didn’t have the nerve pain, so that was fantastic, but also understood that I still have a long road ahead of me of rehab and recovery,” Woods said of how he felt after.
“We’ll continue doing all the gym work and continue doing all the protocols, and eventually, it will lead to something where I can compete again.”
Nevertheless, Woods appears to feel well enough to play in this exhibition. But will his back hold up next week in Orlando? Only time will tell.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.