Tiger Commits to Frys.com Open


Tiger Woods has signed up to play in the Frys.com Open. The PGA Tour's Fall Series event will be held October 6-9 at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, Calif., about 40 miles south of his alma mater, Stanford University.

It will be Woods's first appearance in the tournament, which offers a $5 million overall purse, $900,000 of which goes to the winner. The defending champion is Rocco Mediate. In one of golf's grittiest performances ever, Tiger battled and beat Mediate in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. It took Woods 91 holes - which included an 18-hole Monday playoff and one sudden-death hole - to overcome Mediate and what was later diagnosed as a broken left leg.

"Any time Rocco is in the field, it's always fun," Woods said on his website, www.tigerwoods.com.

Woods is looking forward to returning to play in California, where he was born and raised. "I always enjoy competing in my home state, and this tournament fits my schedule perfectly," Woods said. "I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends.

"John Fry and his company have supported the Tour, and I've heard good things about the event and the golf course," he added. "One of my goals this year was to participate in a tournament I hadn't played before, and now, I will."

Despite his inactivity this season due to rehabilitation of his left knee and Achilles heel, which he injured at the Masters in April, Woods was selected last week as one of Fred Couples' two captains picks for the 2011 Presidents Cup team. The erstwhile No. 1-ranked player, who has 71 PGA Tour wins and 14 major titles that rank second behind Jack Nicklaus, has also been undergoing swing changes overseen by instructor Sean Foley.

Woods has not played since the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club, where he missed the cut by six shots after rounds of 77 and 73.

Couples had expressed hope that Woods would enter some competitions prior to the biennial Presidents Cup, which will take place November 17-20 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. Woods also has indicated that he might add another PGA Tour event to his schedule before heading to Asia and Australia this fall.

Tiger's appearance in the Frys.com Open will be his ninth start of the year on the PGA Tour. He has two top-10 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the Masters.

"It's been a long time between the PGA and Frys, and I'll be anxious to compete," he said.