Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, won’t be teeing it up at the PNC Championship this December - and for the first time since their debut in 2020, the father-son duo will be sitting this one out.
Woods, speaking ahead of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, shared that he's still in recovery mode following disc replacement surgery in October and an Achilles procedure back in March. While he’s made progress - recently getting cleared to chip and putt - he made it clear that he’s not yet ready to return to competition. And with the PNC Championship just a few weeks away, he felt it wouldn’t be right to take a spot in the field.
“Not only would it not be fair to my son,” Woods said, “but also it wouldn't be fair to another team that could play and could have that experience that we've had for a number of years.”
That kind of perspective speaks volumes. Woods, who turns 50 at the end of December, has always valued the PNC as more than just a tournament - it's been a chance to share the game with Charlie, who’s blossoming in his own right.
This year, Charlie helped lead the Benjamin School boys golf team to a Class 1A state title and currently sits No. 9 in the American Junior Golf Association rankings. The kid’s game is clearly trending in the right direction.
But Tiger knows better than anyone that rushing back doesn't do anyone any favors. He acknowledged that the rehab process has been slower than he’d like, but emphasized that the surgery was necessary and the recovery is all about patience and consistency.
"It's not as fast as I'd like it to be," he said. "It was a good thing to do, something I needed to have happen. It just takes some time and dedication to the rehab process."
As for his return to competitive golf? There’s no set timeline yet - not for the PGA Tour, not for the Champions Tour, and not even for TGL, the new high-tech indoor league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy. While Woods won’t play in the early part of TGL’s inaugural season, he confirmed he’ll be present for every match involving Jupiter Links GC, the team he co-owns.
“I won’t be able to play the first part of the TGL season,” he said, “but I will be there every match Jupiter Links competes in. Hopefully, I’ll be able to maybe play the end of the season here and there, but I don’t know.”
And that’s the thing - TGL isn’t your typical golf league. It’s fast-paced, tech-driven, and demands more than just finesse around the greens.
As Woods put it, “I just started chipping and putting. I got to hit more shots than just chip and putt in TGL - there's a few drives I might have to hit.”
Jupiter Links kicks off its season on January 13, with other matches scheduled for January 20, February 2, March 1, and March 3. Whether Woods will be swinging a club or just supporting from the sidelines remains to be seen.
Looking further ahead, Woods has previously expressed openness to joining the PGA Tour Champions once he becomes eligible - which would be after his 50th birthday later this month. But that’s not something he’s ready to commit to just yet.
“Let me get back to playing again,” he said. “Let me do that, then I’ll try to figure out what the schedule will be. I’m way away from that part of it and that type of decision and that type of commitment level.”
It’s a familiar process for Woods - step by step, swing by swing. He’s been down this road before, and he knows the drill.
First comes practice. Then comes performance.
Only after that can he start thinking about where, when, and how often he’ll compete.
For now, the focus is on healing, rebuilding, and, as always, doing things the right way. And while we won’t see Tiger and Charlie at the PNC this year, don’t count out a return down the road. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s never wise to bet against Tiger Woods.