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Tiger Woods and Will McGee on the PNC Championship
Claire Rogers
Whats up, associates, and welcome to my favourite week of the yr: the PNC Championship.
This occasion is the proper approach to finish {the golfing} yr. It’s a feel-good household match that offers me (okay, and the remainder of {the golfing} world) one thing to get excited for earlier than Christmas, and it’s positively one of many extra laid-back tournaments from a protection perspective. And it helps that the professionals have their guards down, which makes for lots of enjoyable moments — together with just a few that we’ll get to shortly. I’ll be recapping every day right here on the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, so permit me to take you again to my arrival on Wednesday.
I flew from Boston to Orlando early on Wednesday morning, picked up my rental automobile after which (after Wawa lured me in for a fast lunch) headed straight for the course, the place I used to be very pleasantly shocked to study that our media middle had been relocated to the J.W. Marriott. We had been in a tent final yr, which is a fairly typical match setup, however now I’m writing to you all from the best media setup (non-Augusta Nationwide division) on the east coast. We’ve obtained fancy meals, fancy espresso, and should you’re Jon Rahm, you’ll be glad to know we’ve obtained fancy loos too.
Wednesday and Thursday on the PNC Championship sort of really feel like the primary few days of faculty. Solely a handful of the professionals have arrived for observe rounds, so there’s an excellent quantity of downtime earlier than the actual work begins. Everybody’s in an incredible temper and glad to be on website, so there’s quite a lot of catching up that occurs. The Woods boys didn’t arrive on website till this morning (Friday), and their absence was positively felt.
My favourite Tiger friendship
You recognize who was out on the course early within the week, although? Annika Sorenstam’s son, Will McGee. He headed to the course proper after college on Tuesday to get some observe in and ended up making a hole-in-one!
McGee’s week began off completely and it’s nonetheless going fairly nicely. He and Tiger warmed up collectively on the chipping inexperienced whereas the 15-time main champion queried McGee about his junior golf schedule. When Sorenstam came to visit to examine on her son, she requested Tiger if McGee was listening to him. Tiger smiled and stated, “Different manner round. I’m listening to him!”
Woods and McGee continued their chat on the way in which to the observe bunker, like previous friends. The Rogers Report is formally giving McGee the within observe for MVP of this occasion. Not solely is he friends with the 82-time PGA Tour winner, he’s most likely essentially the most fashionable man on website, decked out in Greyson gear and sporting some very cool Air Jordan 11 CMFT Lows. Throughout a backup on the tenth tee, McGee advised Tiger he was nervous on the primary tee immediately. Tiger advised him that he ought to be nervous as a result of it means he cares. As somebody who isn’t notably cool, who isn’t an excellent participant and whose mum or dad isn’t knowledgeable golfer, I’ve nearly nothing in frequent with Sorenstam’s son. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless a complete lot of enjoyable to look at him hang around with the Woods guys.
Claire Rogers
I noticed Tiger greet lots of people immediately — gamers and their households, caddies, media members and extra — and I don’t assume he lights up with any of them as a lot as he does when he sees Sorenstam. He exclaimed “Ani!” as he went in for a hug and requested her how she’s been.
Claire Rogers
Tiger imitates Steve Stricker
Throughout his warm-ups, Tiger sort of holds workplace hours on the PNC Championship. He does his factor, and each jiffy somebody will go as much as him to say hello. He gave Steve Stricker an enormous hug whereas asking about his household. Two seconds later, Woods was mimicking Stricker’s swing in entrance of him and (I feel?) purposely duffed a chip.
Claire Rogers
Claire Rogers
Additionally, I’d be remiss to not point out simply how cool the Strickers are. Their complete household is concerned this week. Steve and his daughter, Izzi, are teeing it up collectively whereas his different daughter, Bobbi, and his spouse, Nikki are on caddie obligation. Sadly, my siblings and I should not gifted sufficient to have this form of household outing collectively; what we do greatest as a bunch is stare at our particular person telephone screens.
Charlie and his caddie
The Woods guys did most of their warm-ups individually immediately. Charlie’s obtained his highschool teammate and pal, Luke Smart, on his bag this week, and Rob McNamara is looping for Tiger once more. Tiger put the workers bag away for the week, which is nice information for McNamara. Fortunately the rain held off through the Professional-Am, as a result of McNamara stated he made the game-time determination to go away the rain gear within the automobile immediately.
Claire Rogers
I’m wondering what p.c regular this feels for Smart this week. He most likely spends an excellent period of time with the Woods boys, however doing so on nationwide tv has to really feel sort of loopy. For me, the weirdest factor about strolling round with Tiger’s workforce is how regular all of it feels. Rob McNamara is tremendous sort, Charlie is extraordinarily well mannered and everyone else is as welcoming as they arrive.
My absolute favourite factor in regards to the PNC Championship is how we get to see Tiger’s character a bit bit greater than common. He had rooster tenders and fries for lunch all week on the 2022 PNC, and immediately was no totally different.
The tenth tee affords among the greatest people-watching on the PNC due to the truth that there’s all the time a bunch or two ready on the tee field. As a participant that could be annoying, however as an onlooker, it’s good. Tiger chucked a chunk of a rooster tender at Charlie whereas they waited, they usually caught up with Sorenstam and Mcgee throughout that point as nicely.
I do know they are saying the apple doesn’t fall removed from the tree, so it shouldn’t be too stunning for you all to study that Charlie was making the identical sort of jokes his dad makes on the course immediately.
In contrast to final yr, Tiger walked the entire spherical immediately, which allowed for us all to get lots nearer to him as he moved all through the course. Shut sufficient that I overheard him inform Charlie that he was going to present the folks on tv one thing to speak about earlier than pulling out his driver to hit one off the deck.
Upon listening to that, Charlie stated, “you’ve gotta be kidding me.” That’s a basic teenage response to a mum or dad doing one thing embarrassing. I used to say the identical factor when my dad and mom compelled me to take yet one more photograph on Easter Sunday, cheered a bit too loud at my highschool basketball video games or made one too many jokes in entrance of my associates. Charlie, I promise that folks beloved watching your dad hit it off the deck. I assume no mum or dad is proof against getting that response from their excessive schooler.
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