How Tiger saved pro golf for Washington

The AT&T National returns this week to Congressional Country Club, and after missing last year due to knee surgery, tournament sponsor Tiger Woods will be in the mix.

This year’s field includes defending champion Anthony Kim, 2007 inaugural winner K.J. Choi and big-time players like Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Paul Casey, Boo Weekley, Jim Furyk and 2008 U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee.

The tournament, which began in 2007, was a boost to area pro golf. The Booz Allen Classic, previously the Kemper Open, had been played in the area — first at Congressional and then the TPC at the Avenel Farm course in Potomac — since 1980. But a tough scheduling slot in the often rainy week in June following the U.S. Open got even worse when tour officials moved the event to the fall, when top players, sponsorships and crowds would be even harder to come by. Booz Allen pulled out when the change was made, and it seemed that the only pro event in the region was done for.

But in March 2007, golf’s biggest name came to the rescue. With Woods’ backing, the tour agreed to an event custom-made for D.C. — a Fourth of July weekend tournament with lots of VIPs in the gallery.

Congressional agreed to host the tournament, but trouble lurked on the horizon as the club was already scheduled to have this year’s U.S. Amateur and the 2011 U.S. Open (which would include closing the course in 2010).

But as a testament to the draw and popularity of its sponsor — crowds fell from about 139,000 in 2007 to 107,000 in 2008, when Woods was absent — Congressional’s members agreed to give up their beloved Blue Course again to host the AT&T, while dropping the Amateur.

Though the tournament will move to Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia for 2010-11 as the U.S. Open takes over Congressional, it will be back in Bethesda in 2012-2014 with an additional three-year option for 2015-2017.

“Our members have voted to continue the partnership with Tiger Woods, the Tiger Woods Foundation and the PGA TOUR,” said Bret Hart, president of Congressional Country Club. “We are very excited to host Tiger Woods and professional golf as they face the challenges of our Blue Course as well as the positive economic impact and charitable giving that the tournament generates for our region.”

The official numbers are still being studied by Mongtomery County, but a 2007 report estimated there was an additional $250,000 in sales tax revenue during the week of the tournament.