A Message from Tiger

NEWSLETTER

March 7, 2007

By Tiger Woods

Obviously, this is a pretty special week for me and the Tiger Woods Foundation. We are announcing the formation of a new PGA Tour event called the AT&T National in Washington, D.C. during Fourth of July Week, and I'm honored my foundation will be a part of it. Back in 1997, when we first started the Foundation, it was a goal of my father and I to host a PGA Tour event. I just wish he could have been here to see it.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and his staff have done an amazing job of pulling this tournament together so quickly. When they approached us about this opportunity several weeks ago, we really didn't know if it was possible. But once the dialogue started and we spoke to Ed Whitacre and AT&T, we realized we had solid backing and could make this dream a reality. This is a wonderful addition to my Foundation's existing relationships with Deutsche Bank (Deutsche Bank Championship) and Target (Target World Challenge presented by Countrywide). My thanks to all three for being such good partners.

We hope to play the tournament at Congressional Country Club. So far, our discussions have been very positive. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

As for me playing this year, I'm planning to compete. A lot will depend on the birth of my first child, which obviously takes priority. But right now, my intent is to play.

I'm excited to celebrate July 4th in our nation's capital, and even more thrilled this tournament will help raise long-term funds and awareness for my Foundation. It was almost a no-brainer because of my father's military background and his work with the special forces. My goal has always been to create great citizens through education, character development and career exploration. Then we ask them to return the favor to others. I'm proud to say that during our first year at the new Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Ca., more than 8,000 kids participated in the program. Overall, the Foundation has touched the lives of more than 10 million kids.

We plan to expand the Tiger Woods Foundation and are currently evaluating how we can best serve the Washington area. Specifically, we hope to bring the Tiger Woods Learning Center to the region. The Learning Center in Anaheim was built after extensive community research and we will follow a similar plan for the Washington area. Our hope is to impact the lives of future generations in a positive way.

Golf-wise, it was disappointing not to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. I worked hard to prepare for the event and was playing well, but got off to a poor start in the third round and played catch-up most of the way against Nick O'Hern. I finally caught him, but missed a short putt that would have won the match. Hey, it happens. The most disappointing thing to me is that I didn't see a spike mark in my line. I'm not making excuses - I hit a poor putt - but the spike mark didn't help.

Prior to the tournament, I played a fun round at my home course at Isleworth Country Club with John Smoltz and Jeff Francoeur of the Atlanta Braves and Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I played their best-ball and I don't know what the exact total was but I know what the cash number was: Let's just say I did pretty well.

Next up is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where I've had a good success. Arnold has meant so much to this game and I always enjoy competing in his tournament. Following that, I will play in the WGC-CA Championship at Doral, where I've managed to win the past two years. Then, I'll start preparing for the Masters.

During my recent trip to Dubai, conditions were windy and the desert sand was blowing in my face. I decided to wear sunglasses - something I don't normally wear during competition - and they helped a lot. For the record, they were Nike Golf SIEGE Sunglasses and I highly recommend them.

When my design team and I were in Dubai for the Dubai Desert Classic, we visited Al Ruwaya, the first project for Tiger Woods Design, with our client Tatweer. We are still on track to start construction later this year and hope to open in late 2009.

That's all for now. I'll provide more details on our new tournament next month and also look ahead to the Masters Tournament.

Take care.

Tiger



TIGER'S TIP By Tiger Woods, with Pete McDaniel and Mark Soltau

Compress the Ball

For crisper iron shots, try to trap it against the turf

Most great iron players have at least one thing in common: They take a divot, whether the ball is teed up or on the turf. And it usually comes from a shallow angle of attack, which produces a long, shallow divot about the size of a dollar bill. Conversely, high-handicappers either make a steep downswing and dig a crater through impact, or they don't take a divot at all. Both mistakes lead to inconsistent contact and poor shots.

To improve your ball striking (and your divots), try shallowing out your backswing--swinging a little more around you. That sets up a shallower angle into the ball and a long, thin divot. It also helps if you turn the knuckles of your top hand to the ground through impact. This is a clear sign that you're compressing the ball, trapping it between the clubface and the turf, which will result in a divot on the forward side of the ball.