By Daniel Rapaport
Turns out Tiger and Charlie won’t be the only father-son duo on Team Woods this week.

In addition to Tiger having his longtime caddie Joe LaCava by his side, Charlie will have Joe LaCava Jr. on his bag during the two-day PNC Championship, which begins Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.

Woods and his 11-year-old son will team together for the first time in the event formerly known as the Father-Son, which features 20 teams comprised of a major-championship winning golfer and a family member. Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar are the other current PGA Tour players teeing it up in the exhibition. Each team will play a two-man scramble both of the two days.

“There is one fun nugget that Tiger mentioned to me a number of months ago when he was kind of debating whether or not they would play in the PNC this year,” Rob McNamara, VP of TGR Ventures and Woods’ trusted confidante told Golf Digest. “He said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if I had Joe LaCava Jr. caddie for Charlie?’”

“It’s going to be a very fun family affair, very big father-son bonding experience week, and I think they’re all looking forward to it.”

Charlie Woods drew attention for some strong performances in junior golf tournaments in Florida this summer, winning two and shooting under par for nine holes in both. Woods will be making his first appearance since finishing T-38 in his Masters title defence.

This will be Woods’ last event before he starts his 2021 campaign on the West Coast, with the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines (Jan. 28-31) widely expected to be the first tournament he plays after the new year.

The post Charlie Woods’ caddie while playing alongside his father will continue the family theme appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Strege
The PNC Father Son Challenge closes out what commonly is known as the silly season, though because of the sons (or daughters or grandsons), it is an event more charming than silly.

It was won on Sunday by Davis Love III and Davis Love IV, the latter better known as Dru, who in this scramble format shot a tournament-record 16-under par 56 to win by three at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.

That was impressive, but Team Love likely was the favourite to win. Love III still competes on the PGA Tour and his son Dru, 24, is pursuing a PGA Tour caareer and already has played in 14 tour events and made the cut in three of them.

More interesting were the performances of the Goosens and the Dalys and their 15-year-old sons, as well as Jack Nicklaus and his 16-year-old grandson, GT Nicklaus.

Retief and Leo Goosen also lit up the course, shooting a 13-under par 59 to tie for second. Leo plays to a 0.1 handicap index at Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Fla., and is a sophomore at Lake Highland Preparatory School, for which he plays on the golf team.

John Daly Jr., however, gets more of the attention, notably as the son of one of the more popular players in golf and a young bomber who wears Loudmouth shorts that match Dad’s Loudmouth trousers. Little John, or LJ, as he is called, plays to a plus-0.9 handicap index at Bishops Gate in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Icon Sportswire
Little John Daly, son of John Daly, chips onto the 18th green during the Pro-Am of the 2018 PNC Father Son Challenge. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 18-hole leaders with an opening 59, the Dalys were unable to keep pace with the Loves, who went out in nine-under par 27 and did not let up, posting five birdies and an eagle on the back. Team Daly posted a 10-under par 62 to tie the Goosens and Stewart Cink and his son Connor for second place.

Team Nicklaus featured a precocious 16-year-old grandson, GT, who first gained notice with his hole-in-one in the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National this year. GT plays to a plus-3.3 at the Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla.

The team began the day two off the lead, but with a 78-year-old at the helm, even one regarded as a the best player in the history, it was no match for the younger sets. It shot 64 and finished sixth, notwithstanding a rather remarkable putting performance from that 78-year-old, including this putt:

What. A. Putt.@JackNicklaus turns back the clock with this putt @PNCFatherSon. ? pic.twitter.com/AhdZ02B6qs

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) December 16, 2018

The post Davis Love III and son Dru shoot 56 to win PNC Father Son Challenge by three appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
It’s a two-day exhibition with relatively low stakes but genuinely big rewards, as the latest champions can attest. Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera and his son, Angel Jr., weren’t originally scheduled to play in this week’s PNC Father/Son Challenge. But the duo received the last invitation into the 20-team field when Curtis and Tom Strange had to bow out, and made it count with a two-stroke victory over Bernhard and Jason Langer and David Duval and Nick Karavites.

The Cabreras followed up an opening 59 in the scramble format on Saturday with a 12-under 60 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando on Sunday.

“[This week] has been so special that it really can’t compare to any event I have played in the past,” Angel Jr., said. The 28-year-old, who goes by the nickname Angelito has been trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, having turned pro and played in 15 PGA Tour Latinoamerica events during his career. He also has made one lone PGA Tour start, a missed cut at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open.

Cabrera Sr., meanwhile, has struggled in 2017, playing 17 events and making just five cuts, with no finish better than T-34 in an individual stroke-play event. He came into the week in Orlando with an injured wrist but became inspired by the circumstances.

“This is certain my best week of the year,” said Cabrera, 48, the 2009 Masters champ and 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont. “To play alongside all the legends … as well as playing alongside my son, has been the greatest week of the year.”

The Cabreras are just the fourth father-son team to claim the title in their first appearance.

The post Cabrera duo take advantage of late entry, win PNC Father/Son Challenge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It’s official: A former World No. 1 and multiple-time major champion will make his long-awaited return to competitive golf at the end of this year. Welcome back, Greg Norman! What, did you think we were talking about someone else? Sorry.

While Tiger Woods teases us with videos of his swing, the man who has spent the second-most weeks in the top spot of the Official World Golf Ranking has given us a date for his comeback. Well, his “one-time” comeback.

Norman will compete with his son, Greg Norman Jr., at the PNC Father-Son Challenge, which begins Dec. 13 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. And the two made this announcement in the form of an amusing video. Check it out:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaDCDAWgz_y/

David Duval and stepson Nick Karavites are the defending champs in the team event that pairs a major champ with a family member.

Norman, who mainly keeps himself busy with his various business ventures and cutting down trees with chainsaws, last teed it up in a tournament at the 2012 Senior British Open when he missed the cut. He played in one other PGA Tour Champions event in 2012, a T-53 at the Constellation Senior Players Championship. Prior to that, he played in six senior events in 2009, including a T-4 at the U.S. Senior Open.

We especially love the jumping jacks and sit-ups in the video, although, judging by the Shark’s impressive physique at 62, he doesn’t need to do much to get back into golf shape.

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