Why was Bernhard Langer hitting off a different tee box than Tiger Woods?

Bernhard Langer is an ageless wonder, winning yet again, this time alongside his son Jason at the 2024 PNC Championship.

It's his sixth PNC title and fourth with Jason. This one required a 37th hole, as Team Langer was tied with Team Woods at the end of regulation. On the first playoff hole, Langer drained a long putt to clinch the title.

Throughout the weekend, though, people watching the event were noticing a sizeable difference between where Tiger and Charlie Woods were teeing off and where Langer, just six weeks removed from winning the PGA Tour Champions season finale, was hitting from.

The PNC guidelines for which tee box to use are age-based, with professionals between 64 and 72 able to use the red tee boxes. Langer, who turned 67 in August, was hitting from the reds, which are just more than 6,000 yards.

Meanwhile, Tiger and Charlie were hitting from the tips − no surprise − which checked in at about 7,100 yards.

The PNC Championship is a wonderful event, with teams consisting of a pro who won a major or the Players Championship with a family member who cannot be a professional. Yes, there's prize money on the line. Yes, there was live coverage on Golf Channel, Peacock and NBC. Yes, the competition was intense. And no, Langer wasn't breaking any rules.

But maybe the extra attention paid to the different tee boxes shows how serious this event is now taken in the golf landscape. It may still be a "silly season" event but it's no "slap and giggle."

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Bernhard Langer was hitting off a different tee box than Tiger Woods