golfrewind.com

... and Tiger Woods gets his tournament!

Link to full article:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/...gton-Woods.php

Clipping:

U.S. PGA Tour returns to Washington with Woods in tow

The Associated Press

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

MARANA, Arizona: The U.S. PGA Tour is returning to the U.S. capital with a guy who carries more clout than anyone in golf: Tiger Woods.

Woods will join Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as hosts of a U.S. PGA Tour event, although still to be announced was a title sponsor and a golf course for the new tournament in the Washington, D.C. area during the American Independence Day holiday week.

The Tiger Woods Foundation will run the tournament, and the foundation will be the chief beneficiary of charity.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to expand awareness and interest in the work we're doing for millions of kids across the country," Woods said in a statement. "I'm grateful the PGA Tour selected us as partners and am very excited my foundation will host another amazing event, this time in our nation's capital."

The tournament will be held from July 5-8 and takes the spot in the schedule that once belonged to the International outside Denver.

The International cancelled its event three weeks ago because it could not find a title sponsor. Tournament founder Jack Vickers attributed the demise to Woods not playing his event.

...........

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-03-07-voa70.cfm

............ Just months after the nation's capital was dropped from the PGA Tour schedule for lack of a major sponsor for its annual event that was usually held in early June, the Tiger Woods Foundation reached a long-term agreement to be the host organization and beneficiary of a PGA tournament in the Washington, D.C. area the first week of July.

It will coincide with America's Independence Day holiday on July 4. That week on the U.S. golf calendar became available when the PGA's International, played outside Denver, Colorado, was unable to get a title sponsor. AT&T, a premier communications holding company in the United States and around the world, is the title sponsor for Tiger's event, and the tournament will be called the AT&T National.

The site is yet to be determined, but it will likely be at Congressional Country Club in suburban Maryland. ............

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030802112.html

Criticism Mounts Over Plan to Limit Field at AT& T National

Saying he was "insulted" by the prospect of Tiger Wood s's new tournament being treated like an invitational, Rich Beem said he would rally players against the PGA Tour to make sure the event had a full field.

"It's the most totally wrong thing I've heard of in a long time that's sticking it to the players," Beem said yesterday.

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You know after I heard that I laughed...

I mean, seriously, if it wasn't for Tiger and some other big names... He wouldn't have his fat wallet.

Also, isn't he ranked like 190th in the world? I mean I could understand if it was top 100 get invites and he is 101, but he isn't even close... so why worry?

Beem is a member of the player advisory council, which reports to the tour's policy board: He is probably attempting to take that responsibility seriously and 'doing his job', not just being a loudmouth!

Link to a recent column from espn-golf:

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/columns/story?id=2797289

Selected excerpts:

Tiger should do whatever he wants with his tournament. He is the reason the tour is so wildly successful right now.

The only real question is "was this tournament already planned and waiting in the wings while they let the Castle Pines tournament go?" You don't want to **** off Woods (remember Faldo's comment), so Vicker gets the ultimate abashing when Tiger announces a tournament to replace the one that went away because they couldn't get Tiger. Even funnier is that he won't end up playing this year due to the birth of his child.

Maybe he is speaking for other players and not just for himself. Sometimes people actually say and do things because they believe it's right and aren't thinking about the money or how they might benefit. Hard to believe I'm sure, but true nonetheless.

I agree that Beem is not really speaking for himself (although I do think that he agrees with what he is saying) and is vocalizing only because or the board position that he holds - otherwise he would likely keep quiet on the topic

Every tour player who cashes a tournament check should say a silent prayer of thnks to Arnie and tithe to Tiger. The money available on tour is amazing and due mainly to the two names above!

Kinda Ironic that Congressional CC would be put back on the tour due to Tiger's intervention since it hasn't been that many years ago it was the center of a big flap over it's segregated member policy. ( I can still remember my Dad being sanctioned for inviting a black colleague to play there.)