Woods pairs with father in pro-am
By ROB GLOSTER / Associated Press
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- One week after winning a tournament
in his mother's native Thailand, Tiger Woods plays with his father
for the first time as a pro at the AT&T Pebble Beach National
Pro-Am.
The tournament, which pairs pro golfers with the likes of actor
Kevin Costner and rock star Alice Cooper, will have a larger purse
and a smaller field when it starts Thursday.
The purse for the pros has been increased by $600,000 to $2.5
million this year, with a first prize of $450,000. The field has
been cut from 180 to 168 to speed play, especially if rain and
fog make conditions difficult.
The four-day tournament, played on the Pebble Beach, Poppy
Hills and Spyglass Hill courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean,
benefits charities ranging from the Alliance on Aging to the Carmel
Music Society.
Woods will be paired with his father, Earl Woods, who had to
miss last year's tournament because of quadruple heart bypass
surgery. They won't be the tournament's only father-son team.
Brad Faxon will be playing with his father. In the past, Johnny
Miller, Raymond Floyd and Jack Nicklaus have been paired with
their sons.
"I think it's a great story," tournament executive
director Lou Russo said of the Woods-Woods pairing. "We pair
of lot of pros with amateurs they request. Quite a few make such
requests."
Tiger and Earl Woods will play in a foursome that includes
defending champion Mark O'Meara, who played with his dad a few
years ago.
Tiger Woods and O'Meara are neighbors and close friends, so
the younger Woods will be surrounded by familiar faces -- as well
as quite a few security guards.
But tournament officials hope the crush of celebrity seekers
will be less intense than last year when Woods was paired with
Costner and created a fan frenzy.
Woods is coming off his greatest comeback as a pro. At the
Johnnie Walker Classic last weekend in Thailand, Woods made up
an eight-shot deficit in the final round and defeated Ernie Els
on the second playoff hole.
It was Woods' second victory in Thailand in a year and his
eighth professional win in less than 16 months.
While Woods will be making a sentimental journey with his father,
several celebrity golfers will be living a dream. Though people
such as Jerry Rice are stars in other fields, they become giddy
when talking of the chance to play near Woods and other pros at
Pebble Beach.
Rice, who missed most of this season for the San Francisco
49ers because of knee problems, said golf made the tough times
a little easier.
"When I had the cast on I was chipping, I was putting.
Golf really got me through the season," Rice said. "This
is terrible to say, but when I sustained my injury I thought about
my golf game."
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