Three years ago at the PNC Championship, Will McGee was the youngest player in the field: an 11-year-old novelty act with a sweet swing and a famous mom. This week, while he still holds the ‘youngest’ tag, he returns as something else entirely: a legitimate threat to Annika Sorenstam.

The verdict on McGee has shifted. In 2022, two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas delivered the first signal. On the driving range at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Thomas snatched Sorenstam’s son’s left-handed driver and proposed a straight-drive contest…

McGee striped one down the middle. Thomas whiffed twice and surrendered.

“OK, I lose,” Thomas admitted. “That’s why I’m a right-handed golfer, right there.”

Back then, young McGee chased solid contact like a kid learning cursive… focused on form, not flair. Now in 2025, he shapes shots, giving the ball the right flight, high and soft, and generates clubhead speed his mother can no longer summon.

“He’s done it a few times this year, and he’s outdriving me now too,” Sorenstam said ahead of the 2025 PNC Championship. “It pushes me, what can I say? It’s one of those feelings where as a parent, I’m psyched for him, but I’m also like, hmm, I want to keep going. I’m so competitive.”

The turning point arrived this summer.

McGee defeated Sorenstam outright at Trump Turnberry in Scotland. It was the first of several victories. The 72-time LPGA Tour winner, owner of 10 major titles, now finds herself chasing a teenager.

“The first time we played, I think I was a little bit more in control, telling him what to do, where to hit it,” Sorenstam admitted. “Now it’s probably a little bit vice versa, which I’m proud of because he’s got a really good sense for the game.”

What separated the 11-year-old from the 14-year-old? Acceleration. Sorenstam hears it on the range like a mechanic diagnosing an engine.

“We’ll hit balls next to each other, and I can hear that last minute, like a little acceleration,” Sorenstam said. “It frustrates me that I don’t have that acceleration anymore. I would say that’s what he has.”

The stakes have escalated too. Ice cream bets and dish duty graduated to money on the line! No putts conceded. No mulligans granted.

“Many times you could tell that he wants to beat me, and I don’t give up, but when he does, it’s truly earned,” Sorenstam said.

The generational shift echoes a familiar storyline. Tiger Woods faced the same bittersweet milestone when Charlie Woods started outdriving him. It’s honestly a moment every competitive parent-athlete eventually confronts.

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Will McGee’s proving ground at the PNC Championship

For Sorenstam, the PNC Championship has functioned as Will McGee’s developmental laboratory in ways traditional junior circuits cannot replicate.

At 11, Will shared adjacent range spots with Tiger Woods, stealing glances at his hero’s preparation. He traded jabs with Justin Thomas. He drained a 50-foot birdie putt at the ninth hole, removed his cap, and waved it to the gallery like a seasoned showman. Fans chanted his name as they walked up 18.

No junior event offers that pressure. No weekend tournament places a kid alongside legends who validate talent with offhand remarks that carry weight.

Thomas didn’t have to propose that contest. He obviously saw something worth testing.

Three years later, the test results are in.

The cute kid vanished. A golfer has arrived.