Tiger Woods (18 PGA Tour players competing for a $5 million purse)

The Tiger Woods Leads Excellent 18-Man Field at the 2010 Chevron World Challenge

DonorsChoose.org, Project Lead the Way, Teach For America and TELACU join Tiger Woods Foundation as Tournament Nonprofit Partners

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Two of the four major championship winners from the summer – Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer – plus a trio of other major winners and a near full-house of 13 Ryder Cup participants will make up one of the most impressive, elite fields of the year when they compete at the Chevron World Challenge, Dec. 1-5, at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

The unique, $5 million event features only 18 players who will take on the demanding, 7,027-yard Sherwood Country Club layout. The Chevron World Challenge, co-sponsored by the PGA Tour, is a four-round, 72-hole stroke play event with $1.2 million awarded to the winner. Jim Furyk returns as the defending champion, closing with a 5-under par 67 on Sunday last year to edge McDowell by one stroke to claim the trophy.

In its 12th year at center stage of the PGA Tour’s rigorous Challenge Season, the Chevron World Challenge annually features some of the biggest names in professional golf, and this year’s edition is no exception.

Tiger Woods, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and a four-time champion of this event, will find his hands full as he attempts to add another title to his collection. McDowell, the U.S. Open champion, and PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer lend star power, but they’ve got plenty of company.

The top-heavy list of competitors also includes Steve Stricker, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim, Zach Johnson, Sean O’Hair, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson.

The week kicks off with a Pro-Am on Wednesday, Dec. 1, followed by professional rounds Thursday - Sunday. Sherwood Country Club, tucked away in the Santa Monica mountains, has been the tournament’s home base for 11 years and has proven to be a worthy test for the game’s greatest stars.

Furthering its commitment to improving education in California, the Chevron World Challenge 2010 has expanded its nonprofit partners to include: DonorsChoose.org, Project Lead the Way, Teach For America and TELACU Education Foundation in addition to the Tiger Woods Foundation. The Chevron World Challenge, now in its 12th year, has raised approximately $20 million to benefit education-focused non-profits with operations in California.

About the 2010 Field

Furyk’s victory last year was marked by an inspired comeback. Tied for fifth going into the final round, he leapfrogged into the winner’s circle and wound up with a 72-hole score of 13-under par 275. He won three times this year, including the regular season-ending Tour Championship. Furyk also won at the Transitions Championship and the Verizon Heritage and now has 16 PGA Tour titles to his credit.

Woods came up big in two majors – he tied for 4th at both the Masters and the U.S. Open – and picked up some traction at the first three FedEx Cup playoff events when he was a combined 18-under par. But Woods’ average driving distance was down, his scoring was up and his inconsistencies in finding fairways and greens curtailed what could have added up to more.

Stricker was a picture of consistency all year with nine top 10s, topped by victories at the Northern Trust Open and also at the John Deere Classic, where he was a combined 26-under par. One of the most accurate drivers on the PGA Tour, he showed again that he also remains one of the best putters.

Regarded as a star on the rise on the European Tour, Kaymer announced his arrival on the world scene with a stirring victory at Whistling Straits, where he claimed the PGA Championship and his first major title.

McIlroy just turned 21 in May, but is talented beyond his years. He won his first PGA Tour event at the Wells Fargo Championship two days before his birthday and proved himself to be a big-time player in majors. He tied for third at both the British Open and the PGA Championship.

With six top 10s on the PGA Tour, Donald’s reputation for scoring low and putting with accuracy continues to serve this 10-year professional well.

Casey vaulted himself into a hot streak when he began the year with four consecutive top 10s and he tied for third at the British Open. He was also second at the BMW Championship. His scoring average turned out to be one of the lowest on the PGA Tour.

It’s already been a dream year for Kuchar, with 11 top 10s, a victory at The Barclays and a career-best in earnings. Although he doesn’t rank among the highest in driving distance, Kuchar has hovered near the lead in scoring average and in the top 10 in putting all year.

Poulter picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the Accenture Match Play Championship and also earned a top 10 at the Masters. Known for his accuracy off the tee and from the fairway, he remains a mainstay on the European Ryder Cup team.

This has been a breakout year for the 28-year-old Mahan, who won the second and third tournaments of the PGA Tour career. His weekend rounds of 65-65 enabled him to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open and he was equally as good the last two rounds at the Bridgestone Invitational, where he finished 66-64 and won again.

McDowell is clearly no stranger on the world golf scene, not with his European Tour resume and his Ryder Cup experience, but when he came through in style at Pebble Beach and won the U.S. Open championship on an extremely punishing course, he attracted a new wave of respect and appreciation.

Kim was off to a great start until an injury derailed him. He won the Shell Houston Open a month after he finished second at the Honda Classic. Kim was also third at the Masters and tied for seventh at the Wells Fargo the first week of May. Kim needed surgery to repair ligament damage to his left thumb and didn’t return until August.

It was another solid year for Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, who picked up his seventh PGA Tour victory at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Johnson also tied for third at the PGA Championship at 10-under-par and was a captain’s pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

O’Hair firmly established himself last year and continued to put himself in contention this year. He had three top 10s, but he ranked high in greens in regulation and total driving. Accuracy was one of his hallmarks. O’Hair’s approaches from 150-175 yards ranked 2nd on the PGA Tour.

Clearly a candidate for PGA Tour player of the year, Dustin Johnson won twice, including the AT&T Pebble Beach as well as the BMW Championship. He contended at both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship with a chance to win each one on the last day. Johnson had seven top 10s, set a personal best in earnings and averaged an astounding 308 yards off the tee.

Watson came through with his first PGA Tour victory in June at the Travelers Championship and was second at both the PGA Championship and at the Bob Hope Classic, counting four top 10s in his resume. One of the longest hitters among the pros, Watson averaged a shade under 310 yards off the tee yet still showed a soft touch from the fairway where he ranked among the leaders in greens in regulation.

About the Chevron World Challenge Nonprofit Partners

Supporting the belief that there is no single solution to improving education in California, the Chevron World Challenge nonprofit partnerships reflect a variety of educational approaches:

* Tiger Woods Foundation is a global organization focused on reaching young people through innovative education facilities, original curricula, grants and college scholarships.
* DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need by providing funding for classroom materials, supplies, and other resources they need to learn.
* Project Lead the Way engages students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields through its rigorous, hands-on curriculum that fosters in students a love of learning and a passion for solving our world’s grand challenges.
* Teach For America is the national corps of top college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public school and become lifelong leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity.
* TELACU Education Foundation: prepares Latino students for academic success in underserved communities throughout Los Angeles County.

About the Chevron World Challenge

The Chevron World Challenge celebrates its 12th year by once again bringing golf’s finest stars to Southern California. The tournament is played at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on a course designed by famed architect and professional golfer Jack Nicklaus.

The 72 hole, regulation play event features an elite field of 18 PGA Tour players competing for a $5 million purse. The field is made up of the current four major winners who accept invitations, the top 11 available from the Official World Golf Rankings, the defending champion and two special-exemption players. The winner receives $1.2 million, and the 18th-place finisher received $140,000. For additional tournament information please visit www.chevronworldchallenge.com.

Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods