For a second straight year, the grandfather-grandson duo of Jack Nicklaus and GT Nicklaus will headline the field at the PNC Father/Son Challenge, which takes place at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando Dec. 13-16.
The Golden Bear was originally planning to tee off with his grandson, Jackie, but Nicklaus will instead team with GT for a second straight year.
“Since Day 1, I have rotated between my sons as playing partners, usually alternating between Gary and Jackie,” Nicklaus said. “This year was supposed to be Jackie’s turn, but he said he thought it would be a good idea if GT played again as my partner, so he relinquished his spot to GT. I thought that was a very nice gesture by Jackie.”
Many golf fans might remember last year’s Masters Par-3 Content, in which GT made an ace playing alongside his grandpa.
“GT had a memorable experience playing in his first PNC Father/Son last December, and he certainly created a different sort of memory for himself — as well as his grandpa and family — in April with his first hole-in-one at Augusta National during the Masters Par-3 Contest,” Nicklaus said. “Since playing last year in the Father/Son, GT has grown a lot as a golfer.”
The field consists of 19 major champions and 11 World Golf Hall of Fame members. Some of the other Hall-of-Famers in the field are two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, six-time major champions Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino, and two-time Open champion Greg Norman.
Some newcomers to the 21st edition of the event include U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk and his father and swing coach Mike; Matt Kuchar and his son Peter; European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke and his son Tyrone; and David Toms and his son Carter.
To qualify for the event, golfers must have won a major or Players Championship; their partners must not have a PGA Tour card.
