Tiger Woods, John Daly and the 2021 PNC Championship

For the full breakdown of this weekend at the PNC Championship in Orlando Florida, check out the December 20th episode of Stick & Hack Reacts.

None of us could have predicted that the biggest golf event of the year would happen three weeks before the ball drop, but seeing Tiger Woods on the golf course only ten months after his car accident can have that effect.

The Highlights

• John Daly and JD II take the victory over Team Woods
• Nelly Korda, #1 female golfer in the world, asks for her picture with Tiger
• Henrik Stenson’s son Karl handles the press corps like a seasoned pro
• Tiger is back (and his son Charlie Woods is one to watch)

John Daly and Little John Win the Weekend

For Team Daly, it was a weekend of smoking cigarettes on the fairway, hitting chip shots one-handed while barefoot, and showing us the 1970s swagger that only someone named John Daly can bring onto the course. Even with all of that, the father-son duo finished off the tournament two shots ahead.

Although we haven’t seen him in a while, Daly’s swing hasn’t aged a day. His personality was exactly what you remember, and he was a joy to watch. Although it isn’t exactly the heartfelt father-son comeback story many were hoping for this weekend, seeing Team Daly take the win was just as gratifying.

Nelly and Tiger in the same room

She’s number one in the world, and she’s an Olympic gold medalist. At the PNC Championship, though, she was going by different titles. This weekend she was also a daughter playing alongside her father, who is himself a retired tennis pro. We also got to see another side of her, as a fan of Tiger Woods (just like you and me).

Starting with a timid, “I don’t mean to bother you…” Korda asked Woods for a photo to commemorate being behind the ropes at the same event. After, Woods also took a photo with Petr Korda and Nelly’s brother, Sebastian.

As the group was about to break away, Woods asked how the round went for Team Korda.

“63. 9 under,” reported Petr Korda. “She was carrying me the whole time.”

Karl Stenson Addresses the Press

Most pro players learn the etiquette of the press conference response after years of practice. At age 11, Henrik Stenson’s son Karl has already developed his own unique style.

If you haven’t seen the video, here’s what you missed: A reporter asking Stenson and Karl how they think they faired this past weekend. Stenson laughs as his boy sternly and directly answers, “there’s always room to improve on the weekend but… pretty fun.” Then, of course, mentions that his father’s game could use some improvement.

The Return of Tiger Woods

We’ve teased it enough. You’ve likely already seen the footage and added Tiger’s new driver to your shopping cart, so here are our top three takeaways from this weekend.

1. Charlie Woods has one impressive game. There’s no shortage of talent in the family, but Charlie Woods already has a presence of his own on the course. He has the attitude, the drive, and the level of golf that shows he’s serious about the game, even at 12 years old.The pair came out second, at one point scoring 11 birdies in a row. That’s nothing to sneeze at, and Tiger didn’t do that on his own.
2. Unless you’re part of Tiger’s inner circle, don’t pay too much attention to talk of retirement. Stick & Hack’s Keith Stewart is predicting we’ll see him again in February, at his own tournament in California. His reasoning? Tiger’s 7 months of daily rehabilitation leading up to the PNC Championship.“Charlie’s getting a lot of credit for getting his dad to play, but I think Tiger had this date circled on his calendar for a long time.”
3. Tiger looks the most engaged he’s been in close to a decade. He looks like he really wants to play golf. Imagine what that means for the game, to have Tiger Woods setting out on another 5-year run. What could be better for golf?

Final Thoughts

This year had so many unbelievable moments in 2021. We had Team USA’s victory at the Ryder Cup, Matsuyama’s victory at the Masters, and Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko facing off for the number one spot, not to mention countless other scenes. But, in the last stretch of the year, the PNC Championship and the return of Tiger Woods just might take the cake.

Want more of the latest in professional golf? Subscribe to Stick & Hack Reacts for a weekly breakdown of everything to do with the PGA and LPGA from our very own Keith Stewart and Adam Grubb.