Tiger Woods kept it a family affair at the 2023 PNC Championship. It was expected that Woods and his 14-year-old son Charlie would compete, but his 16-year old daughter, Sam, was a surprise caddie for Tiger, as it marked the first time she has appeared as a caddie for her father.
According to Business Insider, the event was held at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club located in Orlando. The tournament is organized as a pairing, where a former PGA Tour winner teams up with a family member in competition for the tournament prize.
Sam wore an official caddie’s vest with “Woods” on the back and at various points during the round, hugged her father and gave him a fist bump. Sam and Charlie are Woods’ children with his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren; they divorced in 2010 after getting married in 2004. Though Sam is not a golfer, she has been supportive of her father.
When Tiger was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March 2022, it was Sam who delivered a speech, remarking that she saw her father as a fighter, in the wake of the recovery from his 2021 car crash. “We didn’t know if you’d come home with two legs or not,” Sam Woods said. “Now, you’re not only about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’re standing here on your own two feet. This is why you deserve this. You’re a fighter. You’ve defied the odds every time.”
Sam also appreciated that her father made time to support her violin recitals and soccer games even though his schedule was demanding. The praise from his daughter moved Tiger to tears, as he jokingly remarked “Crap, I just lost a bet to [Steve] Stricker that I wouldn’t cry. Thank you, Sam.”
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