Tiger Woods to play Frys.com, Fall Series PGA tourney in South Bay

Tiger Woods has announced, via his website TigerWoods.com, that he will play the Frys.com Open, the only PGA tour stop in the South Bay. Oct. 6-9, at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, California. It will be Woods’ first appearance at the tournament.

“Obviously, we are very excited Tiger has decided to play in our event,” said Kathy Kolder, Frys.com Open Tournament Chairperson and Executive Vice President of Fry’s Electronics. “The boost in marquee value he brings will not only help the tournament and increase the tournament’s economic impact in San Jose, but it will also help us raise more funds for participating charities.”

The Frys.com Open was first played in 2007 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. The event moved to CordeValle, a Robert Trent Jones-designed course which opened in 1999, in 2010.

The 2010 event was won by Rocco Mediate, a journeyman pro who became a household name and fan favorite after battling Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. Mediate lost to Woods in the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. 

Woods has come under criticism from some members of the sports media for not playing more competitive events since recovering from knee and Achilles tendon injuries sustained at The Masters in April 2011, and the scrutiny of his competitive schedule has intensified since U.S. President’s Cup team captain Freddy Couples announced last week that he was awarding one of his discretionary spots on the United States squad to Woods.

Once the most dominant player in all of professional golf, Woods has performed spottily since events in his personal life derailed his playing schedule beginning in November 2009. Coupled with recurring injuries and a much-talked-about revamp of his golf swing, events of the last almost 2 years have seen Woods slide from the World #1 position to 38th in the Official World Golf Rankings.