Tiger Woods officially returns to golf at PNC Championship in Orlando
Tiger Woods of the United States looks on during the trophy ceremony after the final round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Course on December 05, 2021 in Nassau, . (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, Fla. - Tiger Woods will officially make his return to golf on Friday in Orlando.
Woods will play with his 12-year-old son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship at the Ritz Grande Lakes.
"It’s crazy how good he’s hitting — and far he’s hitting — for what he’s been through," Mike Thomas said Thursday at the PNC Championship. "It’s impressive where he’s at."
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 20: Charlie Woods fist bumps with his father, Tiger Woods, on the 14th green during the final round of the PGA TOUR Champions PNC Championship at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 20, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Ben Ja
Justin Thomas returns as the defending champion with his father, Mike, a longtime PGA professional.
"My excitement level is high just for him being out here and being somewhere other than his house and getting to see a lot of familiar faces," said Thomas, one of his closest friends. "And I know spending time with Charlie is a huge deal to him."
"In terms of competing, I think his expectations are very low," Thomas said. "But at the same time, he is who is for a reason. So I’m sure he’ll be (ticked) off if he didn’t play well."
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This will be Woods' first competitive golf since a car accident in February. Tiger needed surgery and nearly lost his foot because of the accident.
Woods was driving to a Los Angeles course for a television shoot on Feb. 23 when police say he was driving about 85 mph along a winding, coastal suburban road. The SUV crashed through a median and plunged down a hill.
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Doctors said he shattered the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg in multiple locations. Those were stabilized by a rod in the tibia. A combination of screws and pins were used to stabilize additional injuries in the ankle and foot.
Now that he's healed, Woods is ready to get back to swinging.
"Although it’s been a long and challenging year, I am very excited to close it out by competing in the PNC Championship with my son Charlie," Woods tweeted. "I’m playing as a Dad and couldn’t be more excited and proud."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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