Among my favorite professional golf events to watch, though it flies completely under the radar in the game’s big picture, is this weekend’s PNC Father-Son Challenge being played in Orlando.

Twenty teams, highlighted by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman and John Daly, compete with their sons over 36 holes in a scramble format.

The criteria to gain admittance to the field is ridiculously high. One player on the team has to have won a major or the Players Championship.

Contestants in what will be the 23rd annual Father-Son Challenge have cumulatively hoisted the championship trophy in 60 majors and 499 professional tournaments worldwide. Eleven of the legendary figures are in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Obviously, because most of the fathers in the field are getting up in age, the caliber of golf isn’t what you would see at a PGA, Web.com or Champions Tour event. That doesn’t mean the competition is not fierce nor the play at times really good.

Last year’s champions — David Duval and his stepson Nick Keravtes — shot 21-under-par 123. The tournament record of 25-under 119 is shared by Nicklaus, Ray Floyd, Larry Nelson and Bob Charles. Floyd is the big winner, having won the tournament four times, including the first three, with Ray Jr.

One of the teams to watch this year, in an event being televised by the Golf Channel and NBC, is expected to be Daly and his 14-year-old son John Jr. The younger Daly opened some eyes last year with his length off the tee. He looks like a rising star.

Nicklaus, ever the traiblazer, is varying from the father-son script and, in his 16th tourney appearance, will team with his 15-year old grandson, Gary.

They are only 62 years apart in age. On the flipside, Justin Leonard is pairing with his 71-year-old father.

An unquestionable job of golf, of course, is that it’s a lifetime game. Nothing spotlights that more than aging fathers and sons teeing it up together. It is, all at once, about bonding, bridging generations, camaraderie and, in some cases, rekindling relationships that may not be as close as they once were.

Time, distance and sons trying to make their own way, often in distant cities, can create a void. Fathers and sons who play golf together often have a leg up on communicating with each other and creating priceless memories.

Nicklaus, who will be 78 in January, is probably the leading spokesman on the value of the father-son tournament.

A few years ago, when there were questions about continuing the PNC Father-Son Challenge, and criticisms that it offered the smallest purse of the year, the Golden Bear was adamant it not be dropped.

“Why wouldn’t it continue? Why would that even be a question? You have the smallest purse of the year with the best field of the year,” he said. “Why? Because fathers are playing with their sons. They don’t care what the purse is. They want to come out and be part of what we’re doing.

“This tournament will continue as long as fathers have sons who want to play golf with them.”

In another word — forever.

Father-Son competitions, meanwhile, have become increasingly special to me, because I play in two or three of them every year with the youngest of my three sons, Grayson. We regularly enter the Texas Father-Son and, in recent years, have competed in similar events at Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Streamsong in Florida and the biggie of them all in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That one, the centerpiece of what is
called Family Golf Week, once drew 808 teams from 46 states and seven foreign countries.

For anyone looking for an enduring memory with a son or father, I would strongly recommend checking out the Family Golf Week experience. You play three rounds on three different Myrtle Beach area courses in three different formats — best ball, scramble and alternate shot — and are flighted by combined handicap.

The golf courses are all good, with some of them exceptional. You get paired with some very interesting father-son duos from all over. Our favorites have been Martin and Andrew Lawrence from London. We make it a point to play a practice round with them, after our first-year pairing.

You are fed well. You participate in several skills contacts at a terrific facility called Legends. You hate to see it end. You will want to go back.

In the meantime, Grayson is headed home from Prosper this weekend so we can celebrate his 37th birthday on Saturday. No doubt part of the day will be spent watching the PNC Father-Son challenge and reliving how close we came to winning last year in Myrtle Beach.

CHIP SHOTS

In a week where golf opportunities were limited by rain, snow and cold, Craig Fontentot of Groves made the most out of getting to play at Babe Zaharias on Monday.

Fontenot sank a 7-iron from 135 yards on the 12th hole for his third hole in one. Witnesses were Ben Sherrod, Walter Colvin and Tommy Prejean.

West Orange-Stark ex Michael Arnaud saw a golden opportunity to gain some status on the Web.com Tour slip away in Sunday’s final round at Q school in Phoenix. Arnaud, tied for fourth after 54 holes, on rounds of 65-71-64, got derailed with a triple bogey, shot 75 and finished tied for 57th.

He will have conditional status for the 2018 season.

In the Senior 50 Plus 2 ball Monday at Zaharias, the team of Randy Harrison, Larry Foster, Ray Darbonne, Paul Duplantis and Bill Draughon won the front with minus 3. On the back, the fivesome of James Shipley, Tom LeTourneau, Bob Luttrull, James Trahan and Charlie Perez finished first at even.

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