PNC Championship: A look at Tiger and Charlie's top challengers

Tiger Woods makes his triumphant return to competitive golf this weekend alongside his son Charlie in the PNC Championship.

The unofficial PGA TOUR event will feature 20 two-person teams, each consisting of one major or PLAYERS champion and a family member of their choice. The pairs will play a 36-hole scramble at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Fla.

The Woods duo isn't the only big-name team heading to Orlando. Justin Thomas and his father Mike will look to defend their title, and there's already been some buzz about a few up-and-comers with superstar parents.

Usually, the PNC Championship - formerly referred to as the father-son challenge - draws very little attention. But with Tiger teeing it up for the first time since his car accident in February, there will be plenty of eyeballs on the December tournament.

Let's get to know the notable teams.

Team Woods

Let's start with the obvious. The tandem of Tiger and Charlie is frankly the reason that most people are tuning into this event. Tiger Woods is finally returning to competition 11 months after suffering fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg from a car crash. As far as the state of his game goes, we don't have much to draw from other than a few swing videos.

The good news is that the event won't ask a lot of the 15-time major winner. Due to the scramble format, this feels like a very logical spot to get back in the rhythm of things. Tiger himself described the fixture as a "hit-and-giggle."

The other half of the pairing offers plenty of intrigue as well. Coming into last year's PNC Championship, we had no idea what to expect from the 11-year-old Charlie Woods. Charlie did not fail to disappoint, to the point where there was even speculation about his professional career.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Charlie's greatest asset to the team is that he's able to play from the forward tees. If the youngster drives the ball in play, Tiger will simply have to focus on his approach play, which has historically been the strongest aspect of his game.

Team Woods finished solo in seventh last year, five strokes back of Justin and Mike Thomas. Even if questions still surround Tiger's game, it seems fair to assume that Charlie has improved since then - the golf legend even said so himself.

Expect Team Woods to finish in the Top 10 once again, but they lack the firepower to compete with some of the below teams for the trophy.

Team Thomas

Justin Thomas and dad Mike are the defending champions as well as the tournament favorites at +200. Justin is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 6, and we can expect him to bring his best stuff given his relationship with Tiger and Charlie - his trash talk with Charlie has to be one of the most fun subplots of the week. We last saw Justin at the Hero World Challenge, where he shot a final-round 64 en route to a fifth-place finish.

As for Mike, he's a former club professional who also helps coach Justin. Mike was an all-conference player at Morehead State before turning professional. He spends a lot more time traveling with Justin than giving lessons or practicing, but he proved last year that he has more than enough game to still compete.

Team Daly

John Daly and his son, referred to as "Little John," are back for their fifth appearance at the PNC Championship. We'll start with "Big John" first, who still competes regularly on the Champions Tour despite announcing in 2020 that he was battling bladder cancer. The 55-year-old hasn't finished in the Top-20 in his last 11 events, but he did nearly win the Insperity Invitational back in May.

Little John might be the one drawing the most eyeballs. Following in his father's footsteps, he's currently a freshman at the University of Arkansas. In his first big collegiate tournament, the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, Little John overcame an opening-round 83 to shoot 68 in round two, one of the best scores of the entire tournament.

Just like his father, Little John hits it a long way. This duo is sure to provide some fireworks - not just with their outfits, but also with their play.

Team Korda

Seven-time LPGA Tour winner Nelly Korda will tee it up with her father Petr. Nelly, the lone woman in the field, is coming off a historic season in which she won four times, including her first major and the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.

Petr Korda is quite the athlete in his own right. The former professional tennis player won the 1998 Australian Open, was runner-up at the 1992 French Open, and at one point, was the No. 2 ranked tennis player in the world. Since Korda's retirement, he's spent time caddying for both Nelly and his other superstar daughter Jessica. Petr was a scratch golfer and a former club champion at Bradenton Golf and Country Club, as the Sydney Morning Herald reported in 2012. Safe to say it runs in the family.

Team Stenson

While Henrik Stenson might be nearing the end of his time in the spotlight, his 11-year-old son Karl is just getting started.

Karl is one year younger than Charlie Woods, but he's already been competing in junior tournaments and has a silky smooth swing.

For what it's worth, Henrik can still get it around, too. He last finished 19th in a 20-man field at the Hero World Challenge, but the 2016 Open Championship winner strung together back-to-back top-fives earlier this season at the Omega European Masters and the Czech Masters on the DP World Tour.

Charlie might get the headlines this week, but my money is on Karl in the junior division.

Team Cink

Stewart and Reagan Cink have an undeniable bond on the golf course. Reagen caddied for his father on the PGA TOUR for the better part of the 2020-2021 campaign, and they shared two victories - the Safeway Open in September and the RBC Heritage in April. Stewart's late-40s resurgence was one of the season's most feel-good stories.

I'm sure you are probably tired of the "it runs in the family" trope at this point, but Reagan is a scratch golfer in his own right. While Stewart struggled down the stretch of the 2021 campaign, failing to finish in the Top 20 in his last 15 starts, he is still one only of four players in this field that regularly competes on the PGA TOUR. The magic this father-son duo was able to create last year against the stiffest competition in the world has to be worth something.

Other notable teams

Team Duval: Former World No. 1 David Duval will tee off with his son Brayden, who has also caddied for him before on the Champions Tour. The Golf Channel analyst has some solid experience in the PNC, winning this event in 2016, albeit with his stepson Nick.

Team Faldo: Similar to Duval, Faldo has become more known for his presence in the booth than his golfing accolades, but the six-time major champion will tee it up with his son Matthew.

Team Furyk: Jim Furyk and his 17-year-old son Tanner will look to improve on their ninth-place finish at the PNC last year. The 17-time PGA TOUR winner recently won the Senior U.S. Open Championship.

Team Kuchar: Matt Kuchar and his son Cameron have proven they're a force to be reckoned with in this format. The duo finished in fifth place at this tournament a year ago. The nine-time PGA TOUR winner is also coming off last week's third-place finish alongside Harris English at the QBE Shootout.

Team Player: Gary Player, 86, and his grandson James have struggled in this event, failing to finish in the Top 15 each of the last two years. This time, the nine-time major champion will look to find more success with another grandson, Jordan.

Team Singh: Former World No. 1 Vijay Singh will return to action with his son Qass. Team Singh finished solo in second last year, just one stroke back of Team Thomas.

Team Trevino: The 82-year-old Trevino will tee it up with his son Daniel. The pair finished in a share of third-place last year.

Team Watson & Ball: Bubba Watson will make his PNC Championship debut alongside his father-in-law Wayne Ball.

Team Watson: The 72-year-old Tom Watson will look to improve on last year's 18th-place finish alongside his son Michael.

Find the full list of competitors here.

How to watch (all times ET)

Saturday, Dec. 18: 1:30-5:30 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Sunday, Dec. 19: 12:30-1:00 p.m. (Golf Channel), 1:00-4:30 p.m. (NBC)