AT&T National

AT&T National Conducts Weeklong Celebration of U.S. Military During Tournament Week at Congressional Country Club 

BETHESDA, MD - Thousands of men and women serving in the U.S. Military are expected to be in attendance all week at the AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods July 3-8, with numerous festivities involving military personnel as part of the tournament's commitment to honoring and supporting the U.S. Armed Forces.

Highlights include the military participation in the July 4 Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am -  named after Woods' father, a Lieutenant Colonel Green Beret with Special Forces in Vietnam - and a special ceremonial first shot featuring Tiger Woods and America's 41st President George H.W. Bush. Military activities for the AT&T National were coordinated by the Tiger Woods Foundation and America Supports You.

"It's very important to me that this tournament honor the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces," Tiger Woods said. "They put their lives on the line so that we are able to enjoy our freedom, and we'd love for them to come out and enjoy a few days of relaxation."

TUESDAY
On Tuesday, July 3, PGA TOUR players Tom Pernice, Jr, Frank Lickliter, Jerry Kelly, Jason Gore, rookie Stephen Marino from Fairfax, Va., and NCAA champion Jamie Lovemark will conduct a golf clinic for military personnel and their families at 6:30 p.m. at Fort Belvoir Golf Course.  Local PGA Professionals will give free lessons to young people following the clinic.  The exhibition is open to the public.

A private pairings party held in advance of the Earl Woods Pro-Am will feature the National Concert Band of America, which will play patriotic and service melodies throughout the evening. Founded in 1974 by former members of the great military bands of our nation (The United States Marine Band, The United States Navy Band, The United States Army Band, and the United States Air Force Band), the National Concert Band of America maintains the traditions of the American concert band through acclaimed performances of the historic band repertoire.

WEDNESDAY
On Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m., Tiger Woods is scheduled to tee off with AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson, Sergeant Major Mia Kelly, Fort Belvoir, and Master Sergeant Andy Amor, Andrews Air Force Base, in the Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am.

At approximately 10:45 a.m., the AT&T National will present a special opening ceremony celebration on the 1st tee, which will include a performance of the National Anthem by Specialist Vicki Golding (Arlington, Va.) of the 257th Army Band, DC National Guard; performances by the U.S. Air Force Drill Team, the US Navy Ceremonial Band; presentation of the colors by a Joint Armed Forces Color Guard; a 60-foot American flag held by soldiers from Fort Belvoir; and a military fly-over by the Army's OH-58 and UH-1 Huey helicopters.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., Tournament Host Tiger Woods will welcome America's 41st president, George H.W. Bush, who will hit the ceremonial first shot from the first tee of Congressional's famed Blue Course to commemorate the official start of the tournament.

Also on Wednesday, 52 non-uniformed active military personnel will caddie for participating PGA TOUR players on hole No. 7 during the Pro-Am. The military caddies will consist of soldiers from the Naval Academy, Fort Belvoir, Andrews Air Force Base and Green Berets from Fort Bragg.

Wounded soldiers from Walter Reed Army and Bethesda Naval Hospitals will serve as special guests of the AT&T National beginning Wednesday and throughout tournament week. While on course, all wounded soldiers will be provided with special accommodations and hospitality along with dedicated hosts.

During the tournament, 22 local military personnel representing five branches of the military have been selected to provide player introductions on the 1st and 10th tees from Wednesday through Friday, and on the 1st tee during the Saturday and Sunday rounds.  Also throughout the week, attending military personnel will be treated to a variety of special accommodations and hospitality opportunities, including a seating gallery designated for military personnel only and a dedicated concessions stand near the 16th green offering discounts with military IDs.

THURSDAY - SUNDAY
In addition to the distribution of 30,000 (5,000 per day) complimentary tickets to active U.S. Military, military personnel will also enjoy a special seating gallery (capacity 300) and dedicated concessions that will offer discounts with valid military ID near the 16th green.

Fans attending the AT&T National will have the opportunity to show their support for U.S. troops by writing messages of encouragement and appreciation on special postcard that will be handed out on shuttle buses.  In all, 75,000 postcards are being produced for the tournament.  Once completed and collected at a special tent near the entrance to the tournament, the postcards will be distributed by America Supports You homefront groups to military personnel stationed around the world. 

The $6 million AT&T National features a winner's check of $1.08 million and will be televised by Golf Channel during the initial two rounds and by CBS during the final two rounds on the weekend.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-594-TIXX or visiting the tournament Web site at www.attnational.org. Daily gallery passes are grounds-only passes and cost $20 Tuesday-Friday and $25 for the tournament's closing rounds on Saturday and Sunday. Weekly gallery badges ($65) are good-all-week grounds passes and the best overall value. Daily Youth Tickets (for kids 13-17) can be purchased for $10 at the gate. General admission parking is free.

The AT&T National will benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation. 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.

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.

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America Supports You is an ongoing nationwide program that helps showcase Americans' support for the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. Since its launch in November of 2004 by the Department of Defense, the America Supports You program has welcomed over 275 homefront groups and more than 35 corporate supporters to its team. America Supports You organizations support the troops through letter writing, care packages, helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending an e-mail or a kind gesture. To learn more about how you can support military personnel, please visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.