With Tiger, the Tour will come

By Jared Trexler

Our nation's capital has risen in popularity over recent days.

Not only does 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue house our nation's leader and his corresponding governing ears, but now little-known Catholic University and the famed War Memorial tie together for an unique bond.

The springboard for an Idol career like never seen before. Welcome to the big time Antonella Barba.

Lost amidst soaking wet t-shirts and provocative poses, Washington, D.C. had other fairly significant news to announce Tuesday.

The golfing area of elite thoroughbreds that houses distinguished Congressional Country Club and its less recognizable neighbor TPC Avenel can now throw its collective support behind a PGA Tour event.

Again.

The Booz Allen Classic lost money, sponsorship and disappeared from the 2007 schedule, leaving the D.C. area void of a men's professional stop.

No Tiger Woods and a bland course like Avenel will do that to any Tour event. Now, commissioner Tim Finchem seems to have realized the formula for success.

Bring aboard Tiger and the money will come.

While its great to have an event back in a golf-crazed area, Woods' star power and the strong backing of his charitable organization -- the Tiger Woods Foundation -- made this deal possible. The world No. 1's foundation also is involved with the Deutsche Bank Championship held just outside Boston.

The good news to decipher from that bit of golf knowledge ist that Woods hasn't missed the Boston Golf Party since its inception in 2003. Now, a new tour event that almost guarantees Woods, possibly save this year with wife Elin's pregnancy and July due date, will replace an old Tour mainstay -- the Stableford-scoring International, which hadn't landed Tiger since 1999 and suffered because of it.

The new event -- without a name, title sponsor, purse and course until a March 7th press conference -- will slide into the Fourth of July weekend slot from July 5-8. It's only fitting a fireworks celebration representing freedom comes to the nation's capital.

"After an extensive search, we are very excited about our partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation to bring a PGA Tour event back to our nation's capital over the 4th of July holiday celebration," said Finchem.

The event will situate itself just after the Tour-favorite Buick Open at Warwick Hills in Michigan, an event Woods always plays due to his affiliation with the title sponsor and his success on the track.

The John Deere Classic, a second-tier event serving as a British Open "tune-up", comes the week after.

It's a perfect landing spot to attract Woods and some of the game's best, especially if the tournament is held on famed Congressional, site of the 1997 United States Open collapse of Tom Lehman and the subsequent Ernie Els victory. Another possible test is Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, the American home course for every Presidents Cup up until 2007.

The news also represents the Tour's growing desire to infuse money and time into today's youth.

The Tiger Woods Foundation's mission statement places focus on obtaining grants that provide opportunities to underserved youth ages 5-17. Programs and grant requests include funding for learning centers, tutoring/mentoring programs and an increased focus on children in urban areas.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to expand awareness and interest in the work we're doing for millions of kids across the country," said Woods. "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. I'm delighted to think of all the young people this will help us reach."

It's a win, win, win -- or in golf terms a trio of birdies -- for the Tour, Tiger and Washington, D.C., which is back in the golf arena after a messy divorce with the Booz Allen.

Spectators can catch Woods and many of the game's best players on a likely revered track in the beauty of summer just after a national holiday.

Some may even tour Catholic University.

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Jared Trexler is The Phanatic Magazine's Golf Editor. You can reach him at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com