By Leonard Shapiro
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 5, 2007

Former president George H.W. Bush has left the premises, taking all those other amateurs with him after yesterday's stirring opening ceremonies and pricey pro-am at Congressional Country Club. The time for baby talk also has ended, though Tiger Woods's 2-week-old daughter at home in Florida will remain very much on his mind during his inaugural signature golf tournament.

This morning at the AT&T National, the golfers finally will take off the head covers for real at the storied Bethesda course. Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, will tee off at hole No. 1 at 1:15 p.m., no doubt witnessed by thousands of golf fans eager to see him play in a regular PGA Tour event in the Washington area for the first time in his career.

A tournament conceived just more than four months ago already has the look and feel of a far more established event, with five of the world's top six players and six of the top 10 entered in a field of 120 players vying for a $1.08 million first-place check from a $6 million purse.

Woods, as always, will be the main attraction, but Phil Mickelson (No. 2 in the world), Jim Furyk (No. 3) and Adam Scott (No. 4) should draw their own substantial galleries, along with No. 6 Vijay Singh and No. 8 Geoff Ogilvy.

Local favorite Fred Funk, still a legitimate contender at age 51, will be here, and even John Daly has shown up to possibly spice up the event, getting in as an alternate on Tuesday.

Mickelson said yesterday he initially did not expect to play here this week, but an injury to his left wrist suffered before last month's U.S. Open forced him to revise his schedule. He's playing in a tournament for the first time since missing the cut at the Open on June 15 and said his wrist was not yet 100 percent, but definitely better than before.

"Because I've missed some events, I wanted to add it when I was able to," Mickelson said of his decision to enter here this week. "Now that the doctor has said I won't be doing any more damage to the wrist, that I can go ahead and go at it 100 percent, I wanted to get back out and play. I played last week. I've played the last six, seven days and have been able to play reasonably well and not have to worry about being injured."

And what would it mean to him if he could win Woods's inaugural tournament?

"Well, if he passed out the trophy," Mickelson said with a wide smile, "it would be pretty cool."

Mickelson and many of his playing peers are thrilled to be back at Congressional, which last hosted a PGA Tour event at the 2005 Booz Allen Classic. The course will play to a par 70 at a distance of 7,204 yards and includes a brutish 488-yard par 4 (No. 6) on the front side and another robust 489-yard test (No. 11) on the back.

Every player in the field also will get his heart started right out of the tee box either today or tomorrow when they confront the newly configured 10th hole, a 218-yard par 3 over water that quickly will get their attention.

"This is definitely in the top five [courses] on tour, for sure," Scott said. "It's just a traditional, old-style golf course, and it rewards good golf and punishes bad golf, which I think is a good way to go."

A number of players in the field also were on the premises for the 1997 U.S. Open, won by Ernie Els. Woods tied for 19th that week and spent a good portion of his frustrating four days trying to hack out of the five-inch rough. It won't be much easier this week, with the primary rough cut at 4 1/2 inches. Ten years ago, fairways and greens were firmer and faster at the start, with rain during the tournament softening up and slightly slowing down greens. Yesterday's showers, which caused officials to end the pro-am at about 5 p.m., may lead to a similar situation.

But Mickelson, who tied for 43rd in '97, predicted yesterday that the old place again should hold up quite nicely.

"I like it where you don't have to shoot 6, 7 or 8 under par every round to keep pace," he said. "More strategy is involved, thought process as well as being challenged physically with your game. The fairways are tight. There's a lot of great definition with the contrast and color from the rough to the fairways. If I can drive it well here, hopefully I can have a chance on Sunday."

Funk, one of the game's shortest but most accurate drivers of the ball, said he saw Woods in the locker room yesterday and told him there was no way he'll be able to reach the 488-yard No. 6 -- a par 5 for the members -- in two shots like the other big bombers in the field.

"He said, 'You're going to need more ammo than that this week,' " Funk recalled. "I was holding my driver in my hand. . . . The new hole [No. 10] is unbelievable. And to have to start your round there one day. That's a heck of a hole."

The 10th actually played as the 18th at the 1997 U.S. Open. But in preparation for the 2011 Open, the club and the U.S. Golf Association decided to flip-flop the green and the tee. This year, No. 18 will be the club's picturesque signature hole, a 466-yard par 4 that played as No. 17 in '97, with water on the left and behind the green. The hole cost Tom Lehman a chance to win in '97 when he splashed his second shot into the pond.

"The golf course is in phenomenal shape," Woods said after his practice round Tuesday. "It's going to be one heck of a test. I think that's something all of us as players will be looking forward to, and we've been very lucky and very blessed to have a great field this week."

And his personal goals for the week?

"Obviously to have a fantastic event where people have a fantastic time and great memories; to thank our men and women for serving our country; and getting a W."