News

PNC Father Son Challenge

December 13, 2018

The 21st playing of the PNC Father Son Challenge will take place Dec. 13-16, 2018 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has been the title sponsor of the tournament since 2012. The twenty-team field boasts 800 worldwide wins, 56 major championships and 11 World Golf Hall of Fame members.

To qualify for the PNC Father Son Challenge, players must have won a major championship or THE PLAYERS Championship. Their partner must not hold a PGA TOUR card, and while most of the partners in event history have been the sons of the professionals, the family-themed tournament has seen daughters and grandsons participate. Last year, Justin Leonard was joined by his dad, Larry. This year, Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar will each have his father as a partner.

Over the 20 years of the tournament, 24 World Golf Hall of Fame Members have played in the championship. The winning team of the two-day, 36-hole scramble receives the Willie Park Trophy, in memory of the father and son British Open champions Willie Park Sr. and Willie Park Jr. The purse in 2018 is $1,085,000.

Eighteen-time major champion Jack Nicklaus and his grandson, GT Nicklaus, headline the field. Nicklaus is one of 11 World Golf Hall of Fame members playing in the 2018 PNC Father Son Challenge, including Retief Goosen, who will be enshrined with the Class of 2019. Goosen and his son, Leo, are making their third appearance in the PNC Father Son Challenge. Other World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field include Nick Faldo, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer, Davis Love III, Mark O’Meara, Nick Price, Vijay Singh, Greg Norman and Lee Trevino.

Newcomers to the PNC Father Son Challenge in 2018 include former European Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke and his son, Tyrone; 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk, playing with his father and swing coach, Mike; Matt Kuchar, playing with his father, Peter; and David Toms, playing with his son, Carter.

Lee Trevino will make his 21st appearance in the PNC Father Son Challenge this year, the only player to have participated in each of the previous 20 tournaments.

Bernhard Langer, partnering daughter Jackie Langer John, is attempting to become the first to win with a record third different child. All multiple winners of the tournament have done so with more than one child. In 2014, Langer became the third player to win the PNC Father/Son Challenge with two different children, joining Raymond Floyd and Larry Nelson. He previously won with son, Stefan, in both 2005 and 2006 before winning with Jason in 2014. Floyd won the first three events with his son, Raymond Jr. in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Floyd then won with son Robert in 2000 and 2001. Nelson won with son Drew in 2004 and 2008 and with son Josh in 2007.

With their victory in 2017, the team of Angel Cabrera/Angel Cabrera, Jr. became the third duo to claim the PNC Father Son Challenge in their first appearance, joining Stewart/Connor Cink (2013) and Raymond Floyd/Ray Floyd, Jr. (1995).

The 36-hole event again features a scramble format. Two teams share the 18-hole scramble record of 15-under-par 57 (Ray/Ray Floyd, Jr. /Rd. 2/1995 at Windsor Club; Bob/David Charles/Rd. 1/1998 at Windsor Club).The two-day tournament record with the scramble-only format is 25-under-par 119 and is shared by four teams (Bob/David Charles/1998; Jack/Gary Nicklaus/1999; Raymond/Robert Floyd/1999; Larry/Drew Nelson/2004, Angel/Angel, Jr. Cabrera). For the first two years of the event, a better-ball format was used on the first day.

In tournament history, four playoffs have been required to decide the winner, most recently in 2015 when the team of Lanny/Tucker Wadkins defeated Larry/Drew Nelson, Fred/Taylor Funk and Davis/Dru Love. It also marked the first playoff to feature more than two teams.

The largest 18-hole lead is two strokes (six times, most recent 2015, Vijay/Qass Singh) and the largest margin of victory is four strokes (1998, Bob/David Charles). The best come-from-behind victory is four strokes (2001, Raymond/Robert Floyd).

The last professional to successfully defend at the PNC Father Son Challenge was Larry Nelson in 2008. He won with son Josh in 2007 and son Drew in 2008.

Vijay Singh (2008) and Jim Furyk (2010) are two players in the field to have claimed the prestigious season-long FedExCup trophy on the PGA TOUR while Bernhard Langer is a five-time winner of the season-long Charles Schwab Cup competition on PGA TOUR Champions, including this season.

2018 PNC Father/Son Challenge Field (bold denotes World Golf Hall of Fame members)

1. Stewart Cink/Connor Cink

2. Darren Clarke/Tyrone Clarke

3. John Daly/Little John Daly

4. David Duval/Brady Duval

5. Nick Faldo/Matthew Faldo

6. Jim Furyk/Mike Furyk

7. Retief Goosen/Leo Goosen

8. Lee Janzen/Connor Janzen

9. Tom Kite/David Kite

10. Matt Kuchar/Peter Kuchar

11. Bernhard Langer/Jackie Langer John

12. Davis Love III/Dru Love

13. Jack Nicklaus/GT Nicklaus

14. Greg Norman/Greg Norman, Jr.

15. Mark O’Meara/Shaun O’Meara

16. Jerry Pate/Wesley Pate

17. Nick Price/Greg Price

18. Vijay Singh/Qass Singh

19. David Toms/Carter Toms

20. Lee Trevino/Daniel Trevino

NBC/Golf Channel will provide coverage of the PNC Father/Son Challenge.

Airtimes are as follows:

Friday, December 14

5-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel – Pro-Am Show)

Saturday, December 15

11 a.m.-Noon ET (Live, Golf Channel)

2-3 p.m. ET (Encore replay, Golf Channel)

3-6 p.m. ET (Tape Delay, NBC)

Sunday, December 16

11 a.m.-Noon ET (Live, Golf Channel)

2-3 p.m. ET (Encore replay, Golf Channel)

3-6 p.m. ET (Tape Delay, NBC)