Tiger Woods has not yet scheduled a date for his season-ending knee surgery and it is not known whether Woods will be able to host the AT&T National, said Tournament Director Greg McLaughlin Thursday.
“Tiger wants to be here,” said McLaughlin from his office at Congressional Country Club. “He was thrilled with the way everything turned out last year and he wants the momentum to continue. He’ll be here if at all possible.”
Woods’ presence likely depends on when Woods undergoes surgery to replace his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. McLaughlin refused to speculate on whether Woods would consider delaying surgery in order to host the tournament, which runs July 3-6.
Woods posted a message on the tournament Web site Thursday. It read: “Thank you for the outpouring of support for the AT&T National. This event means a lot to me, and I know my fellow PGA Tour pros and the 30,000 members of our military who attend are going to really appreciate your continued support. I’m still working out the details of my schedule and hope to have an update for you soon.”
Despite Woods’ injury, McLaughlin, also President of the Tiger Woods Foundation, sounded upbeat as he talked about this year’s tournament.
“We know this is a pretty strong golf community,” said McLaughlin. “We think they’ll come out and support the event.”
