What’s better than Tiger Woods highlights?
Tiger Woods AND Charlie Woods highlights.
And despite both members of Team Woods banged up – Charlie was limping because of a left ankle that his dad chalked up to “growing pains” – the father-son duo provided plenty in Saturday’s first round of the scramble-formatted PNC Championship, where the Woodses opened in 13-under 59 and are tied for second, two shots behind Justin Thomas.
"He played great today," Charlie said of his dad. "He had to carry me all day."
"Unfortunately, this was not the gameplan that we had originally planned out; his ankle's not exactly feeling the best," Tiger added. "So, I've had to hit a couple more drives than I normally would – yeah, you (directed at Charlie) – no, but obviously, it was a great day. We got a little bit of a heater there in the early to middle part of the round ... and we're in a great position for tomorrow."
Let's begin on the par-4 second hole, where Charlie finessed a wedge shot close to set up the Woodses' first birdie of the day.
"My ankle wasn't feeling too good this early, so I just clubbed up and hit it really soft," Charlie said.
Two holes later, Tiger drained a long birdie at the par-3 fourth.
On the next tee box, Tiger unloaded on a drive, posting 180 mph of ball speed and carrying the tee ball 306 yards.
And Tiger finished off the hole by chipping in for eagle, a shot that produced a December-scramble version of one of those vintage Tiger fist pumps.
"Simple little chip-in," Tiger said.
The eagle sparked a run of six straight birdies, as Tiger poured in a couple 12-footers, at Nos. 6 and 8, and Charlie rolled in a birdie of his own at No. 7.
"We finally read one correctly," quipped Charlie, who raised his putter just like his dad after that one.
Team Woods turned in 8-under 28 after Tiger drained another birdie bomb, at the par-4 ninth.
Tiger opened the back nine with a nice 60-yard wedge shot to a foot to set up another birdie.
The birdie run ended at the par-3 12th, but Tiger still managed to produce an incredible par save from behind the green after Charlie's tee ball found the water.
And on the next hole, the par-4 13th, Tiger produced a clutch pitch from the pine straw to steal a birdie.
"We had a little argument there because he wanted to play his shot. ... I kind of overruled and I hit a saucy little 60 in there," Tiger said.
We got a fist pump. We got a putter raise. And on the par-5 14th, we got a club twirl, as Tiger muscled a 220-yard 4-iron to 15 feet.
"It was all I had there," Tiger said.
Team Woods would make an easy two-putt birdie after that.
Things slowed down after that with three straight pars before Charlie capped the round off with a birdie make at the par-5 18th – and an early ball-mark pickup.