Congressional will host Woods' new event

Apr 6, 2007, 15:45 GMT

Bethesda, MD - Tiger Woods' new PGA Tour event has a home.

The AT&T National will be played at Congressional Country Club through 2008, it was announced Friday.

'I'm thrilled we'll be launching the inaugural AT&T National there and am looking forward to a week of tremendous golf,' Woods said in a statement.

The new event, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation, filled a hole left in the PGA Tour schedule when the International folded in February under the weight of declining ratings and the lack of a title sponsor.

Woods rarely appeared at the International, another factor in its demise.

His new event has drawn criticism from a number of PGA Tour players -- among them, Rich Beem and Brad Faxon -- for replacing the full-field International with a 120-player field.

But the tournament, to be played July 5-8, has also drawn praise for honoring the military by offering active personnel free admission.

Proceeds will go towards building a Tiger Woods Learning Center in the Washington, D.C. area.

'It is a real boon to the area that the PGA Tour is returning and that Tiger is considering this area for another Tiger Woods Learning Center,' said Congressional president Stuart Long.

Washington was without a PGA Tour event after the Booz Allen Classic was dropped.

Congressional Country Club is no stranger to major championship golf. The 1964 U.S. Open, historically won in the heat by Ken Venturi, and the 1997 U.S. Open, won by Ernie Els, were both staged at Congressional.

Dave Stockton won the PGA Championship at this venue in 1976, while Tom Weiskopf captured the 1995 U.S. Senior Open at Congressional.

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