NEWS FEATURE

Tiger Woods
enters Wachovia
Championship at Quail
Hollow, May 3-9

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 28, 2004) -- Tiger Woods, a six-time PGA TOUR Player of the Year, including the last five in a row, and the undisputed No. 1 player in the world, has added his name to the illustrious entry list for the second annual Wachovia Championship, which will be played at Quail Hollow, May 3-9.

Woods, winner of this year's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, will join a strong field that includes five of the top six players in the World Rankings.

• Mickelson Commits to Wachovia Championship • Charlotte Gears Up • Tigers Eye Golf Links • Course Reviews

"We are excited for the City of Charlotte and for the patrons who have bought tickets," said Wachovia Championship Tournament Director Kym Hougham.

"To now have five of the top six players in the world coming to our tournament shows that a lot of hard work by all involved is paying off."

The field also has includes major championship winners Phil Mickelson, Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem, Mike Weir, Davis Love III, Mark Brooks, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Justin Leonard, Lee Janzen, Bernhard Langer, Curtis Strange and defending champion David Toms.

The Wachovia Championship, a 72-hole tournament that features a $5.6 million purse, will pay $1,008,000 to the winner. It will mark the first time Woods will play in North Carolina since the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst.

The 28-year-old Woods will enter the Wachovia Championship riding a record streak of 247 consecutive weeks as the No. 1-ranked player in the world. He has been No. 1 for a total of 316 weeks overall and is closing in on Greg Norman's record of 331 total weeks as the world's top-ranked player. If he maintains his No. 1 ranking, he will catch Norman during the week of the PGA Championship (Aug. 9-15) and pass him the following week.

When Woods won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship this year, it was his 40th career victory, which tied him with Cary Middlecoff for eighth place in career victories on the PGA TOUR. The $275,000 he won for his fourth-place finish in the season-opening Mercedes Championship pushed his record career earnings to more than $40 million.

Woods has made some minor swing adjustments and believes he is close to hitting the ball the way he wants to again.

"My game has been just a touch off," he said. "I think 90 percent of my shots are really good, but I am pleased overall. If my other 10 percent are not playable, that's the problem. They need to just be missing the green on the correct side instead of the short side, or just missing the fairway on the correct side. When I miss the fairway on the wrong side, I leave myself no angle into the green. Those are minor things, though, and I will get them right."

Woods will be well-rested going into the Wachovia Championships. It will be his first tournament since the Masters and he is eager to get back into competition.

The Wachovia Championship will be televised by USA Network on Thursday and Friday and by CBS on Saturday and Sunday.

Proceeds from all PGA TOUR events benefit charities selected by the tournament organization. The nationally known educational foundation, Teach For America, has been selected as the primary charitable recipient of the Wachovia Championship for 2004, in keeping with Wachovia's strong commitment to furthering education opportunities in local communities.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.