Golf rarely allows its biggest names to share the workload. You get advice from a caddie, encouragement from fans outside the ropes, and, ultimately, a shot only the player can hit.
The PNC Championship offers a different format each year. Here, the person standing beside a major champion is not simply along for the ride. A son or daughter must supply the drive, roll in the putt, or simply provide the reassurance that keeps a round moving.
This December 17-20, that family affair will include more women than ever.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, Annika Sörenstam, Izzi Stricker and Christina Langer will give the 2026 event a record four women in its field when the event returns to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes. It is another step in the evolution of a tournament whose identity rests less on individual accomplishments than on family connections.
Korda will make her sixth appearance with her father, Petr. Sörenstam returns alongside her son, Will McGee, for a fourth straight year, while Steve Stricker will partner with daughter Izzi. Bernhard Langer, whose six victories have made him the event’s most successful champion, will play with daughter Christina.
“It is fantastic to see more women participating this year,” Sörenstam said. “The event has always been about bringing families together through golf, and having a larger female presence makes it even more special.”
For Langer and his daughter, December brings a reunion on familiar ground. She previously partnered with the two-time Masters Champion in 2012, 2013, and 2016 at this venue.
Matt Kuchar returns with a more recent memory.
A year ago, the 48-year-old nine-time PGA Tour winner and his son, Cameron, turned a weekend get-together into a record-setting performance. Their 33-under-par total produced a seven-stroke victory, with a closing 54. Both the score and the winning margin set tournament records.
That’s the competitive aspect of an event easily mistaken for a casual pre-holiday gathering. The atmosphere may appear relaxed. The champions still want to win.
Cameron Young will strive to strike that balance for the first time when he debuts alongside his father, David.
Young arrives after a breakthrough 2026 season that included victories at The Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship. That victory at TPC Sawgrass was his ticket in, as only former winners of golf’s majors or the Players are invited, and the invitation gives him the chance to share the stage with the father who helped shape his game.
“Being invited for the first time is an honor, and something I’m looking forward to,” Young said. “It’s a unique event where I have the opportunity to compete alongside my father against an incredible field.”
Young joins a gathering that includes Brooks Koepka, David Duval, Trevor Immelman, Nick Price, and Lee Trevino, who has participated every year since the tournament began in 1995, when 10 major winners gathered with their sons. Organizers say nine teams remain unnamed.
The tournament now features 20 champions and their amateur relatives competing in a two-day, 36-hole scramble. Those family members who partner with many of golf’s most recognizable names must not hold any playing status on a professional tour.
Tickets range from grounds admission to hospitality overlooking the 18th green, with limited capacity to preserve the event’s intimacy.
