Tournament Host Tiger Woods & PGA Tour Field To Play For $6 Million Purse, July 2-8, 2007
BETHESDA, MD — The inaugural AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods will be played at the historic Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD the week of July 2-8, it was jointly announced today by and Greg McLaughlin, President of the Tiger Woods Foundation, Stuart Long, President of Congressional Country Club and PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. Congressional Country Club agreed to be the host site through 2008 for the $6 million PGA TOUR tournament, featuring a field of 120 and benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation.
"Congressional Country Club has one of the greatest courses in the region, if not the entire United States, and we’re honored and excited by the support we have received from the board and members," Tournament Host Tiger Woods said. "I’m thrilled we’ll be launching the inaugural AT&T National there and am looking forward to a week of tremendous golf."
"Congressional Country Club was delighted to be asked to host the inaugural AT&T National. The membership has voted overwhelmingly in favor of holding this prestigious tournament at Congressional in 2007 and in 2008. It is a real boon to the Greater Washington Metropolitan area that the PGA Tour is returning and that Tiger is considering this area for another Tiger Woods Learning Center," Long said. "I believe that the combination of a fine sponsor such as AT&T along with the opportunities provided to so many young people through the Tiger Woods Foundation led our members to such a positive conclusion. We look forward to the Club’s Championship Blue Course providing an outstanding venue for this premier event."
"Congressional Country Club is a wonderful site for the launch of the AT&T National," Finchem said. "It’s a classic venue that presents a tremendous test for the world’s best players, and one that will also be appreciated and enjoyed by our fans and sponsors. We’re grateful to Congressional’s membership for this outstanding show of support over the next two years, and we couldn’t be more excited about our return to the nation’s capital during the 4th of July week."
The AT&T National will benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation and pay tribute to the men and women in our Armed Forces. In addition to serving as the host organization, the Tiger Woods Foundation also plans to expand its programs to the East Coast by bringing the Tiger Woods Learning Center to Washington, D.C.
The Congressional Country Club, which opened in 1924, is par-72 course covering 7,173 yards. The course has played host to four majors–two U.S. Opens (1964 and 1997), one PGA Championship (1976) and the U.S. Senior Open (1995). The Kemper Open was played there from 1981-86 and the Booz Allen Classic was held there in 2005. Congressman Oscar E. Bland and O.R. Lubring of Indiana, founders of the Club, set out to provide an informal common ground where politicians and businessmen could meet as peers, unconstrained by red tape. They took their idea to Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce, who agreed to serve as Founders’ Club President and, from 1922-1923, Honorary Founding President of a soon-to-be-built Congressional Country Club. Primarily because of the determination of these original two visionaries, the Club was incorporated in December 1921. Construction of the Club took two and one-half years from concept to completion. Its international recognition, intended for the world of politics, has been achieved instead in the world of golf.
About the Tiger Woods Foundation Since its inception in 1996 by Tiger Woods and his father Earl, the Tiger Woods Foundation has reached an estimated 10 million young people through character development, career exploration and grant making programs. Programs developed and supported by the Tiger Woods Foundation all share a similar mission of empowering young people to dream big and to set specific goals to achieve their dreams. The Tiger Woods Learning Center is a youth-education facility and curriculum created by the Tiger Woods Foundation. Launched in February, 2006, the Tiger Woods Learning Center is an innovative 14-acre, after school campus designed to inspire career exploration. Serving members in grades 5 through 12, classes include forensic science, robotics, engineering, aerospace, video production and home design. Start Something, based on Earl Woods’ best-selling book, is a free program for youth 8-17 that addresses three priorities: character education, volunteer service and career exploration. Through participation in Start Something, youth define a specific personal goal and develop an action plan to achieve it while giving back to their community and exploring careers that fit within their areas of interest. More information on the Tiger Woods Foundation and its programs can be found at tigerwoodsfoundation.org.
About the PGA TOUR The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world. In 2007, the three Tours will compete in approximately 110 events for approximately $340 million in prize money. Tournaments are being held in six countries outside the U.S. and in 36 states. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours have surpassed the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions. The PGA TOUR’s web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
About AT&T AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world’s most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation’s leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.
Contact:
Emily Taylor, Tiger Woods Foundation, 949-725-3003
Steve Brener/Damian Secore, BZA, 818-344-6195, ext. 103
Bill Palen, AT&T, 214-665-1310
James Cramer, PGA TOUR, 904-631-2999
Mike Leemhuis, Congressional Country Club, 301-469-2000
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