Charlie Woods' First Hole-in-One & Tiger's Reaction: Celebrate Your Firsts

A clip from December 2024 has been making the rounds again: Charlie Woods, then 15, making his first hole-in-one at the PNC Championship with his dad, Tiger, standing right next to him. Tiger called it "the thrill of a lifetime." The beginner lesson: your firsts count too, and the best ones happen with people you love.

Trending again: the shot from 2024

The PNC Championship is a two-person scramble, mostly major champions paired with a family member. In the final round on December 22, 2024, at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Charlie stepped up to the par-3 4th hole, about 175 yards from his tee.

He made a smooth swing and watched it the whole way. While the ball was in the air, he asked it to cut, and it did. It landed about six feet left of the hole and rolled into the middle of the cup.

Charlie paused for a moment in disbelief, a small smile on his face, then hugged his dad. Tiger gave him a happy little shove across the tee box.

"It was an unbelievable moment," Tiger said. "That was the thrill of a lifetime."

Tiger also pointed out that Charlie's first eagle, at an earlier PNC, had come on the hole right before it. "It's a magical two-hole stretch," he said. "I'm just so happy for him and for the enjoyment we had as a family."

They didn't even win, and it was still the best day

Team Woods and Team Langer (Bernhard and his son Jason) matched each other all day and went to a playoff. The Langers won it with an eagle on the first extra hole.

Charlie was asked where the day ranked among his golf memories. "No. 1. It's not even close," he said.

Tiger put it simply: "That's the whole joy of it, is to be out here with family and bonding and just the enjoyment of each other's company."

Your first-nine lesson: celebrate your firsts, whatever they are

You probably won't make an ace this year. That's fine. Golf has a lot of firsts, and every one deserves the same hug Charlie got:

Your first ball in the air. Not a topper, not a worm-burner. Up. That counts.
Your first two-putt green. Two putts is how good players think about every hole.
Your first par. On any hole, from any tee. Write it down and keep the card.
Your first nine with your kid, parent or friend. The score is a bonus. The company is the point.

Try a family nine. Pick a par-3 course, bring a putter and your 52° and 56° wedges, and play it as a scramble like the PNC: everyone hits, you all play from the best ball, repeat. Nobody carries a bad shot alone. Our how to play a par-3 nine guide walks you through it, and golf scoring systems explains scrambles and other friendly formats.

Keep a "firsts" card. Write the date and the first on the back of your scorecard. In a year you'll have your own highlight reel.

Tiger has made more great shots than almost anyone. The one he was happiest about that day was his son's.

Charlie Woods' First Hole-in-One, and Why Every Golf First Deserves a Celebration

Trending again: the shot from 2024

They didn't even win, and it was still the best day

Your first-nine lesson: celebrate your firsts, whatever they are

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