Woods to play Fall Series in October near Stanford

[August 30, 2011]  NORTON, Mass. (AP) -- Tiger Woods will play the Frys.com Open in California the first week of October, his first time competing in the PGA Tour's Fall Series as he tries to get his game ready for the Presidents Cup.

The Frys.com Open is Oct. 6-9 at CordeValle Golf Club, about 45 minutes south of his alma mater at Stanford.

"I always enjoy competing in my home state, and this tournament fits my schedule perfectly," Woods said Monday on his website. "I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends."

Woods said a week ago he might add a tournament because of his limited schedule this year brought on by leg injuries. He chose a tournament from the Fall Series that he has never played.

The Frys.com Open, in only its fifth year, was one of the more exciting tournaments of the Fall Series last year. Rocco Mediate holed out for eagle in each of the four rounds, including the 17th hole in the final round, for a one-shot win. It also offers a $5 million purse, the richest among events after the FedEx Cup is over.

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

Woods has played only eight PGA Tour events this year because of injuries to his left knee and Achilles' tendon. He went four months without completing a tournament -- from the Masters in April to the Bridgestone Invitational in August -- so he could make sure his injuries were fully healed. He said at Firestone that his leg felt as good as it had in years.

His results raised questions about his golf, however. He tied for 37th at Firestone, then missed the cut at the PGA Championship, the first time he had ever finished outside the top 100 in a major.

When he plays the Frys.com Open, it will be his first event in six weeks, although Woods is to play in a one-day exhibition in upstate New York on Wednesday to support Notah Begay's charity work.

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

Fred Couples said last week he told Woods he would be a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup, even though he was 28th in the standings and had been out of golf for much of the summer, missing two majors. Couples said he wanted Woods to play more before the Australian Open in November, a week before the Presidents Cup.

Even though there was speculation about Woods going to Disney or Las Vegas -- two tournaments he had won as a rookie -- the Frys.com Open had been a possibility all along.

The tournament consultant is Duke Butler, a former business executive with the PGA Tour who had come out of retirement in 2007 to help launch the AT&T National, which supports Woods' foundation.

"This is a good start," Butler said. "We'd like to think that players and caddies and fans who have been here have enjoyed it, and they've been spreading the word."

It likely will be the only Fall Series event that Woods plays.

He is hosting the first Tiger Woods Invitational a week after the Frys.com Open at Pebble Beach to raise money for his foundation. Proceeds from the three-day event on the Monterey Peninsula will support college-access programs for underprivileged youth.

Woods has some appearances in Asia before going to the Australian Open in Sydney on Nov. 10-13, followed by the Presidents Cup in Melbourne. After a week off, he would finish his year at the Chevron World Challenge, assuming he is eligible. That's for the top 50 in the world, and Woods fell to No. 38 in the world ranking this week.

[Associated Press; By DOUG FERGUSON]

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