Golf Events / Editor / 03 July 2007 / Leave a Comment

Tiger Woods will be hoping fatherhood can inspire him to victory in the inaugural AT&T National at the Congressional Country Club in Washington DC.

The PGA Tour's newest invitational, which replaces The International on the schedule, is being officially hosted by the world number one - despite his name not featuring in the actual title.

The American capital is perhaps a fitting venue for a tournament set to feature a field of 120 players competing for a staggering $6million in prize-money, with Woods teeing up for the first time since becoming a parent, the obvious draw.

However, there is no lack of quality in an entry list that boasts the top six in the world with Woods joined by Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott and Vijay Singh, plus there are also 15 tournament winners from this year's PGA Tour in action.

Woods will understandably be looking for a promising performance at Congressional as he hones his preparations for the Open Championship at Carnoustie later this month where he'll be bidding to add to his 12 Major successes.

The 31-year-old has twice gone close to adding to that tally this term having finished as tied second at both the US Masters and more recently the US Open at Oakmont behind eventual winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina.

Woods can already boast 57 Tour titles and is trading at 3.8 to add to that tally here. He has enjoyed another dominant season having won three times in six events outside of the Majors and he's at 1.32 to claim a top-10 finish in Washington.

Despite being asked to host the tournament, Woods is unlikely to be distracted from victory. He has performed the same role at the Target World Challenge and in the seven such events has clinched victory on three occasions in 2001, 2004 and 2006.

There remain doubts over the fitness of Mickelson. The two-time Major winner has been persistently troubled by a wrist injury this season and he seemed to struggle at the US Open where he finished down in a disappointing tie for 64th place.

'Lefty' has never really got to grips either with the Congressional course where he was 43rd at the 1997 US Open and 29th when the 2005 Booz Allen was staged here.
However, Mickelson is available at 18.5 to rediscover his touch and become the inaugural winner of the event.

Jim Furyk is certainly a contender at 13.5. The experienced campaigner has yet to land his first winner's cheque on Tour this year but has come close with a tied second at the US Open, before finishing just two off the pace at last week's Buick Open where Brian Bateman was a surprise maiden winner.

Adam Scott is another obvious choice although the likeable Aussie had a shocker at Oakmont when he missed the cut. Prior to that though he had been a model of consistency, having won at the Shell Houston Open earlier in the season, his last three finishes in regular US Tour events number finishes in sixth, fifth and seventh respectively.

Scott, at 22 to triumph, is trading at 2.8 to claim a top-10 berth and is 3.5 to finish as the top Australian although the steady Geoff Ogilvy may have something to say about that.

Singh is always a threat having captured two Tour titles this season, the Mercedes Benz Championship in January and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

A model of consistency, the Fijian was always just off the pace at the US Open where he claimed a tied 20th finish and he is available to back at 18.5 here.
Leading the way for the Europeans will be Justin Rose who is currently trading at 27 for victory.

The Englishman was tied for 10th at Oakmont and will be seeking to get in the groove ahead of a return to British shores for Major action at Carnoustie.

Swede Frederick Jacobsen also tees up on the back of his fourth place finish at the Buick Open last week and he's trading at 5 to be the top European.

Ernie Els is a notable absentee. The South African has chosen to remain at his Wentworth home in England in preparation for the Open at Carnoustie.

The Big Easy would certainly have been a live contender having won the US Open at Congressional back in 1997, but there is certainly still plenty to whet the appetite.