Justin Thomas and his father won the PNC Championship

The tournament started on December 19, consisting of 36 holes on the par72 field with 20 pairs, stroke play in the scramble format. In this pattern, two team members both tee off, then choose the best position for the next shot until the hole is closed.

On the opening day, team Thomas hit 62 strokes, stood T8 with a score of -10. At that time, they were on par with “Super Tiger” including Tiger and Charlie Woods 11 years old. Yesterday, Team Thomas hit 57 strokes with the scoreboard to 15 birdies and no bogey. Particularly the first half of the round, the house of Thomas was eight birdies.

All the way, Justin Thomas took a good kick and Mike closed the hole effectively. “We kept on birdies. My part was light because the whole round was only six strokes,” Justin said of the role of the father and son in the final leg.

At hole 18, par5, he thinks the home team needs more birdies so try to go green so it is okay with a pitching wedge. The ball is 2.4 meters from the hole, Thomas wants his father to do the last shot. Mike finished work at the birdie point.

Thomas went professional in 2013, joining the PGA Tour two years later. He currently owns 13 championships, including the major PGA Championship 2017. Mike is 61 years old, still specializes in coaching young golf, occasionally guiding Charlie Woods.

Mike said on the afternoon practice green on December 19, Charlie won the one dollar bill when both were passing the ball. “He said while smiling and saying ‘I’ll let you open your eyes,'” he said.

The Woods team finished the closing day wearing a red shirt, black pants, which became a brand identity factor of the American superstar in each finish in the top arena. Both played 62 strokes similar to the previous round but scored two eagles, seven birdies and one bogey, and finished seventh at -20. After the birdie hole 18, Charlie hooked his fist to celebrate – genuine Tiger style.

Vijay Singh and his son, Qass, finished second, a stick behind Thomas’ team. The two sides should have played the extra hole if Singh’s team did not damage the putt eagle from nine meters. The Thomas family received $ 200,000, the Singh side received $ 80,000, the Woods pair got $ 47,000.

This was the first time Thomas family attended the PNC Championship, in which Jani – Thomas’s mother was a caddy for Mike’s father. While father and son were busy communicating with the media after accepting the award, Jani silently took three Corona bottles with a few slices of lemon juice to celebrate the victory.

PNC Championship was born 25 years ago, with its predecessor, Father-Son Challenge, was originally positioned as a golf fun for star golfer parents, thereby inspiring the development of this sport. Thereafter, the event is only open to major or The Players Championship champions – the main event of the PGA Tour. But in parallel, the field of teammates was extended to children, nephews and girls and father-in-law.

“Actually attending this tournament, I do not care much about winning or losing. The core value is that your father and son enjoy special moments together,” commented Thomas of the PNC Championship. This is exactly what IMG Group Vice President – Alastair Johnston expected when he founded the award.

“I wanted to tell Charlie that thousands of kids at home watching him play golf and then would like to play golf with his dad. Maybe Charlie doesn’t agree now but one day he’ll nod,” Johnston said.

Quoc Huy