Every December, major winners and their relatives select from the same two shots, walk the same 36 holes, and chase the same trophy — but the rules governing how they play together set this event apart from any other scramble in golf.

The PNC Championship operates on a two-player scramble format. Both team members hit tee shots. They evaluate the results — distance, lie, angle of approach — and select the most advantageous position. Both players then hit their next shots from within one club-length of that spot, no closer to the hole. This recursive process continues until the ball is holed. The team records one score per hole.

The format transforms probability. In individual stroke play, a poor approach might cost a golfer a stroke. In a scramble, the odds of both players missing simultaneously drop dramatically. This dynamic creates a strategic split: one player anchors with a safe shot, the other attacks. Winning scores regularly exceed 20-under par. In 2024, the Langers set the benchmark at 28-under.

The 2025 edition runs December 20-21 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, with a pro-am preceding on December 19. Twenty teams compete across two rounds. Tiger Woods continues recovering from back surgery, meaning Team Woods will sit this one out. The spotlight shifts to John Daly and son John Daly II, whose grip-it-and-rip-it power suits the scramble perfectly. Nelly Korda partners with father Petr, bringing the world’s No. 1 female golfer into a field stacked with major champions. Bernhard Langer and son Jason return as defending champions, chasing a seventh title.

The event is not an official PGA Tour tournament, a recent report noted, meaning it does not count toward the FedEx Cup or official money list — though it remains sanctioned by PGA Tour Champions. The total purse stands at $1,085,000, with the winning team claiming $200,000 and the Willie Park Trophy.

But format alone doesn’t explain why this event stands apart. The eligibility architecture does.

Top Stories

Who Is Charley Hull’s Ex-Husband? Is LPGA Star Currently Dating?

Pro Suffers Disqualification at PGA Tour Q-School After Several Players Withdrew Abruptly

2025 Vic PGA Championship: Prize Money, Winner’s Payout & More Explored

Donald Trump Puts Public Golf Courses on Notice Amid Control Dispute

Charley Hull Opens Up on Traumatic Divorce from Ex-Husband for the First Time Ever

How the PNC Championship format differs from other team events

The Zurich Classic pairs two professionals in alternate-shot and four-ball formats. Pro-ams mix touring players with amateurs but rarely over competitive rounds. The PNC Championship does something different: it pairs a major champion with a family member who cannot hold active tour status.

The professional must have won a major championship or The Players Championship. The partner must be a relative — son, daughter, father, or grandchild. No current touring professionals allowed on the family side. This rule prevents super-teams while preserving the generational dynamic at the event’s core.

The tee system accommodates the skill and age disparities that this creates. Gold tees stretch to 7,106 yards for active PGA Tour professionals under 52 and family members aged 16-53 with collegiate-level games. White tees measure 6,578 yards for professionals 54-63, LPGA players, and family partners 14-15. Red tees at 6,036 yards serve professionals 64-72 and partners 12-13. Blue tees around 5,500 yards allow super-seniors like Lee Trevino, 86, and juniors 11 and under to compete.

The format has remained consistent since the tournament began as the Father/Son Challenge in 1995. Organizers chose the scramble specifically because it allows players of vastly different abilities to contribute meaningfully. A 14-year-old can sink a birdie putt that counts. An 86-year-old can stripe a fairway finder that sets up the approach.

The 2020 rebrand to PNC Championship reflected an expanded definition of family, but the competitive architecture stayed the same. The scramble remains the mechanism that makes a family competition viable at the professional level.