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Justin Thomas’ Dad Surprised How Good ‘Tiger Woods’ Game Was Before PNC Championship


ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s no surprise that Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, will be paired with Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, in the opening round of the PNC Championship on Saturday.

They did so in the first round a year ago, and they are neighbors in South Florida.

But what’s interesting is that older Thomas – a former club pundit and still his son’s mentor – talks about playing with Woods recently.

“It’s crazy how well he hit it and how far, given what he’s been through,” Mike Thomas said Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

That would add a little extra juice to what was promised to be an intense weekend for what is usually a low-key, low-key event between the major champions and family members. their family.

Woods will play competitive golf for the first time in a year – since he and Charlie, now 12, jointly finished seventh at the tournament a year ago, in fact.

A car crash on February 23 in which Woods severely injured his right leg and foot left him hospitalized for weeks and immobilized for months. Only recently has he emerged to show the progress he has made, including golfing with his son, which seemed unthinkable after the crash.

Justin Thomas, a 14-time PGA Tour winner, has probably spent more time with Woods over the past several months than any other player.

“And know that spending time with Charlie is a very important thing to him. So I know he’s excited about that part.

“In terms of performance, I think his expectations are very low. But at the same time, he’s who he is for a reason, so I’m sure he’d be furious if he didn’t play well. .”

Woods, who turns 46 on December 30, tried to lower expectations during his press conference at the World of Heroes Challenge on November 30. He is self-deprecating about how far he can hit the ball. and warned that he has a long way to go to competitive travel golf.

He admits that “hit and giggle” golf could be in his future, and so he is here at PNC, with Friday morning prep time being the real opportunity. first to give the world a glimpse of his game.

Mike Thomas said: “We all know him well enough to know that he would never admit to being near where he wanted to be. “More importantly, where would he normally be compared to now. More importantly his shot, whatever he has at the moment. … He still has pace. He has length. that is, I was surprised.”

A year ago, Charlie Woods stole the show, wowing viewers with his similarity to his dad, who has won 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour titles.

But now the focus will be on Tiger again.

“It shows how much Tiger has changed,” Padraig Harrington, captain of the European Ryder Cup, who is playing with his son Paddy. “Let’s face it. He has changed. It’s not like he’s golfing at this stage right now just because he wants to have that experience with his son. As you get older, you realize there’s more to life than that. Your family becomes the center of your life. And that’s clear with Tiger.

“He will do anything to give his son an experience he can’t forget. Tiger doesn’t need to play golf this week. I’m sure if this isn’t happening now, you’re welcome. won’t see him at least for another three or four months.”

Regardless of how Woods plays, speculations about when he will return are endless. Will he be able to return in time to the Masters? The Open at St. Andrews more likely? Does he play anything in 2022?

PNC is far more subdued than any other public golf course he will play. It is only 36 holes. He is allowed to use a golf cart. And the format is a scramble, which means that both players hit a tee, play from the best, and continue that process until the hole is completed.

Last year, with a significant rise from junior tees, Charlie regularly hit the mark, which means his famous dad doesn’t even need to bother. It will be interesting to see how often Tiger hits the driver or any tee, based on his situation.

“I’m sure some days he’ll be like, ‘Oh, oh, I can do this,’ and there are days it’s like, ‘Oh, I’m not really sure,'” Justin Thomas said. “But [playing this week] is very impressive and unbelievable.

“But I know that he’s somewhere deep down there that’s written this on his return calendar.”

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