Tiger Woods confessed what he 'hates to admit' about son Charlie amid latest setback

Tiger Woods is set to miss out on a cherished father-son tradition at the PNC Championship in December due to his latest injury setback. The 49-year-old icon, who has won 15 majors and revolutionised the sport, last graced the PGA Tour in July 2024 at The Open, where he failed to make the cut.

The former world No. 1's prolonged absence from the game has seen him tumble down the rankings, following a series of injuries. These include a ruptured Achilles sustained during home training in March and a recent lumbar disc replacement surgery. The latest operation has dashed hopes of Tiger partnering with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship, an event that has become a family tradition since 2020. Despite the daunting task of living up to his father's legacy, 16-year-old Charlie has shown immense promise. He clinched his first American Junior Golf Association title in May at the TaylorMade Invitational. In 2022, Tiger confessed that his then 13-year-old son had outdriven him for the first time, a testament to Charlie's talent.

"I hate to say it but I'm going to admit it: He finally did it a few weeks ago. I spun one and he tomahawked one and got me," Woods admitted during The Match in 2022.

Tiger and Charlie are yet to claim victory at the PNC Championship together, though they came agonisingly close last year. The Woods duo finished level with Bernhard Langer and his son Jason on 28-under-par before suffering heartbreak in a playoff.

However, there remained plenty for the Woods family to celebrate. Charlie had scored an eagle on the third hole before achieving his first hole-in-one on the fourth, much to his father's delight.

"It's one of the highlights that we've ever had," Tiger said. "We were talking about earlier, he made his first eagle. Now he just made his first hole-in-one. It's a magical two-hole stretch.

"I'm just so happy for him. It was a lot of fun. It was back-and-forth, no one made a mistake today."

Charlie mirrored his father's assessment. "It was awesome," he said. "No one made a mistake today, and on top of that, I made an ace. I don't think I can top that."

Tiger's fitness woes have likely scuppered the father-son partnership's opportunity to battle for the PNC Championship this year. The tournament is scheduled to take place at the Ritz-Carlton golf club in Orlando, Florida from December 18.

In a statement on X, Tiger confirmed his latest operation last month. "After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with Doctors and Surgeons to have tests taken," he said.

"The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday. I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back."

The statement further read: "On Friday, Tiger underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery in his L4/5 Lumbar spine for lower back symptoms. The surgery was deemed successful and performed by Dr Sheeraz Qureshi and his team at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York."