Orlando, Florida — Thirty years after they partnered as player and caddie to win the most iconic Masters in history, Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II will partner as teammates in this year’s PNC Father/Son Challenge. The Golden Bear is among 13 World Golf Hall of Fame members who have committed to this year’s event, Dec. 8–11 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Grande Lakes in Orlando.
Nicklaus, 76, will play in his 15th PNC Father/Son Challenge. He will be joined by the oldest of his four sons, Jack Nicklaus II, who famously served as caddie and emotional sidekick when his father stormed back on Sunday of the 1986 Masters to win his record 18th professional major championship.
“I have said many times before that the PNC Father/Son is one of the most anticipated events of the year for me, as it gives me a chance to catch up with a lot of friends and a rare opportunity to tee it up with one of my sons,” Nicklaus said. “People always ask me what my dream foursome would be, and I always say I would try to bend the rules and play as a fivesome, so all four of my sons could come along. So to be able to partner with my son Jack II in a fun but competitive environment, such as the Father-Son, is going to make for a great couple of days.”
“I was looking at the incredible field they have assembled again this year,” continued Nicklaus, while beginning to crack a smile, “and I see several fathers who are actually younger than my son. At a combined age of 130 years, is it too late for us to ask for shots?”
John Daly will play the PNC Father/Son Challenge for the first time, joined by his son, Little John. Daly, 50, a five-time PGA TOUR winner, joined the PGA TOUR Champions this year, making his debut at the Insperity Invitational in May.
To qualify for the PNC Father/Son Challenge, players must have won a major championship or The Players Championship. They play with either a son or daughter, and the partner must not hold a PGA Tour card.
“We are pleased to once again welcome a field full of golf’s legends and their children to the PNC Father/Son Challenge,” said Alastair Johnston, vice chairman of IMG, which co-founded and produces the event with NBC Sports. “Some of our fathers continue to actively compete in tournament golf on tours around the globe, while others have retired from regular competition. In any case, they return each year to the PNC Father/Son Challenge for the unique opportunity to tee it up alongside their children.”
Over the 19 years of the tournament, 24 World Golf Hall of Fame Members have played in the championship, averaging 67 percent of the professional field each year. 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. This year’s purse is $1,085,000.
Last year, World Golf Hall of Fame member Lanny Wadkins, and his son, Tucker, who works as a fulltime investor relations professional, won the event in a four-team playoff over Fred and Taylor Funk, Larry and Drew Nelson and Davis and Dru Love. The Wadkins, Funk and Nelson teams are scheduled to return to this year’s field.
They will be joined by other former champions Bernhard and Jason Langer as well as a field of greats who have amassed 335 PGA TOUR victories and 64 major championships.
“As a co-founder of the Father/Son Challenge, NBC is extremely proud to showcase the game’s greatest players and the camaraderie with their children through the game of golf,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports Group. “Through the collective efforts of our partners at PNC Bank, Ritz-Carlton and IMG, fans nationwide will share in the bond these players have with their children in one of the most special events in golf.”
NBC Sports and Golf Channel will team up to provide eight hours of weekend coverage:
Friday, Dec.9: Pro-Am Special, airing at 4 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday, Dec. 10: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 4–6 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, Dec. 11: 2–3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 3–6 p.m. ET (NBC)
Golf Channel and NBC’s joint broadcast team of Steve Sands and Justin Leonard in the broadcast booth will be joined by Peter Jacobsen from an on-course tower, and David Feherty and Notah Begay III reporting from the course. Jimmy Roberts will conduct post-round interviews and deliver his signature essays.
2016 PNC Father/Son Challenge Field (bold denotes WGHOF)
1. Stewart Cink / Connor Cink
2. John Daly / Little John Daly
3. David Duval / Nick Karavites
4. Steve Elkington / Sam Elkington
5. Nick Faldo / Matthew Faldo
6. Raymond Floyd / Robert Floyd
7. Fred Funk / Taylor Funk
8. Retief Goosen / Leo Goosen
9. Hale Irwin / Steve Irwin
10. Lee Janzen / Connor Janzen
11. Bernhard Langer / Christina Langer
12. Sandy Lyle / Stuart Lyle
13. Larry Nelson / Josh Nelson
14. Jack Nicklaus / Jack Nicklaus II
15. Mark O’Meara / Shaun O’Meara
16. Nick Price / Greg Price
17. Vijay Singh / Qass Singh
18. Curtis Strange / David Strange
19. Lee Trevino / Daniel Trevino
20. Lanny Wadkins / Tucker Wadkins
The 20-team field competes in a scramble format over 36 holes for the $1,085,000 prize purse and the Willie Park trophy, named after Willie Park, and his son Willie Park Jr., who combined to win the British Open five times.
Tickets are now on sale, priced at $15 per day or $45 for a full tournament pass (four days), by visiting www.pncfathersonchallenge.com or by calling 844-434-3925. Active military and children age 15 years and younger receive complimentary admission with an accompanying adult.
Past Champions of the Father/Son Challenge
1995 – Raymond Floyd and Raymond Floyd Jr.
1996 – Raymond Floyd and Raymond Floyd Jr.
1997 – Raymond Floyd and Raymond Floyd Jr.
1998 – Bob Charles and David Charles
1999 – Jack Nicklaus and Gary Nicklaus
2000 – Raymond Floyd and Robert Floyd
2001 – Raymond Floyd and Robert Floyd
2002 – Craig Stadler and Kevin Stadler
2003 – Hale Irwin and Steve Irwin
2004 – Larry Nelson and Drew Nelson
2005 – Bernhard Langer and Stefan Langer
2006 – Bernhard Langer and Stefan Langer
2007 – Larry Nelson and Josh Nelson
2008 – Larry Nelson and Drew Nelson
2012 – Davis Love III and Davis “Dru” Love IV
2013 – Stewart Cink and Connor Cink
2014 – Bernhard Langer and Jason Langer
2015 – Lanny Wadkins and Tucker Wadkins
The PNC Father/Son Challenge is operated in partnership by IMG and NBC Sports.
