Pushing through the pain barrier is nothing new to Tiger Woods. Though this time his reasons are less competitive, and more family-focused.
The father-of-two has seen his son, Charlie, take a keen interest in the sport he has dominated.
Woods finds himself fighting through plantar fasciitis in his right foot currently as he played with Charlie at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Friday. The reason could not be more profound.
As if the two weren’t alike enough, both were spotted limping. Woods later revealed his 13-year-old son recently suffered a sprained ankle.
In a both for golf fans to savor, Tiger and Charlie Woods will be competing together Saturday
The Woods’ will tee off in the first round of the PNC Championship in Orlando on Saturday. If it means his recovery from the foot ailment is delayed by playing, so be it, says Woods.
‘You know, I don’t really care about that,’ Woods remarked at the notion of impeding his recovery, via ESPN.
‘I think being there with and alongside my son is far more important, and [getting] to have a chance to have this experience with him is far better than my foot being a little creaky.’
Woods has been all smiles of late talking about his enthusiastic 13-year-old son, Charlie
It will be just the third time both father and soon have competed at the Orlando event, having participated in the previous two years.
The Woods’ finished seventh in 2020 and an agonizing two strokes behind Jon Daly and his boy in 2021.
‘Any time I get a chance to spend time with my son, it’s always special,’ Tiger said.
‘And to do it in a competitive forum, the last couple of years have been magical, and to be able to do it again, we’re looking forward to it.’
The pair will partake in the PNC Championship in Orlando, FL. for the third successive year
The 15-time major winner is still rehabbing from a severe car wreck which he endured in February 2021 outside of Los Angeles.
Resultantly, he will be able to use a cart to get around the 36 holes. Despite the positivity which comes with playing alongside Charlie, there are still difficulties for the golf legend, namely due to the crash.
‘I’m doing everything,’ Tiger said. ‘It’s frustrating because each and every day I have to do it, and then on top of that it’s trying to sleep in the damn boot, it’s no fun. My left leg is bleeding sometimes because the boot hits it.
‘It’s just annoying. It’s one of those things that, hey, I’m grateful to have this limb and it’s mine. It’s not some fake limb; it’s mine. And, yes, there are some issues with it, but I still have it.’
Charlie Woods already has fans salivating at his current play and long-term potential in golf
‘It’s been a lot harder than people probably imagine,’ Tiger said. ‘There’s some of the players who are very close to me know what I’ve kind of gone through, and they’re the ones that keep encouraging me to back off a little bit.
‘But that’s not really in my nature. My nature is trying to get better, and I have. And through work ethic, I was able to play and compete in three major championships this year.’
Following the bonding time in Florida, Woods will recuperate before returning at some point in the new year.
It looks like he will be kept busy in the meantime in a mentor role to Charlie.
In a video posted to the PGA Tour’s social media channels Friday, Woods was seen filming his son on his iPhone before taking him through his tee shot.
Woods stood from behind before going into immense detail, as you’d imagine, complimenting the backswing and providing encouraging words to his seemingly perfectionist son.
