Father/Son Challenge

The Father/Son Challenge, titled since 2020 as the PNC Championship under a sponsorship agreement with PNC Financial Services, is an annual golf tournament for two-player teams, consisting of PGA Tour and Champions Tour golfers and (usually) their sons. It is played over two days (36 holes) for the Willie Park Trophy, in memory of the father and son British Open champions Willie Park Sr. and Willie Park Jr. The field of twenty teams plays a scramble format. In 2012, the prize fund was $1,000,000; the tournament is jointly owned by IMG and NBC Sports.

The qualifying player must have won a major championship or The Players Championship (often touted as the "fifth major") to be eligible for an invitation. The guest team members range from middle school age up to senior citizens, and sometimes include a few with tour golf careers of their own but cannot be a touring professional at the time of the tournament.

Venues have been as follows:

• 1995–1998 Vero Beach, Florida
• 1999 Twin Eagles Golf Club in Naples, Florida
• 2000–2002 The Ocean Club in Paradise Island, Bahamas
• 2003–2008 Champions Gate Golf Resort in Orlando, Florida
• 2009–2011 not played
• 2012–present Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida

The event's name took on a somewhat looser interpretation when Fuzzy Zoeller teamed up with his daughter Gretchen in 2005. In 2013 and 2016, Bernhard Langer played with his daughter Christina. In 2006 and 2007, Arnold Palmer played with his grandson Sam Saunders.

In 2024, qualifying entrants included Annika Sörenstam, who partnered with her 13-year-old son Willie McGee, and Nelly Korda, whose partner was her father, Petr Korda.

Winners

Source:

External links

28°24′14″N 81°25′59″W/28.404°N 81.433°W/ 28.404; -81.433