GolfArizona.com
Previews the 2001 Phoenix Open

Tiger Woods has actually played in an event, and not won. Jim Furyk has need all of two weeks to win a tournament (Mercedes Championship) and shake a monkey from his bag, uh back, that haunted him all of last year.

	Jesper Parnevik

If these first three weeks are any indication, we are in for a fun ride. At least, until Tiger gets it going.

For my money, I would want to be one place and one place only next week: Scottsdale, AZ for the Phoenix Open. The early and late portions of the PGA Tour are notorious for splitting tour players between PGA sanctioned events, and other made for television (or dollar sign) events involving match play, or modified scoring systems.

	Tiger Woods

Woods announced last week that he would be playing in the tournament to shake off the early season rust. The Phoenix Open is already the most well attended tour stop. Now thousands more patrons will be vying for a chance to be present as Woods' rust falls around the tee boxes and greens of the TPC faster than an internet stock on downers.

Despite all its great moments, Woods is the one that put the tournament on the map with his third round hole-in-one of the par 3 16th hole in 1997. If you don't think that hole will resemble Cameron Indoor Stadium this time around, you better turn around and ask somebody.

• 2001 Phoenix Open Fact Sheet • Phoenix Open & Super Bowl Golf Vacation • Past Phoenix Open articles

Heck, even if Scottsdale residents Phil Mickelson and Tom Lehman (defending champion) were the only recognizable names in the tournament, it would be worth the price of admission to watch these two personable, talented chaps go out and in.

But it's not that way. Not even close. The revamped John Daly will be there too. Are you serious? Daly on the rebound, Tiger shaking off rust, Duval, Love III, Mickelson and Els trying to prove they can hang with Eldrick this season. Drop whatever you are doing. Summon up that paid leave time. You have to get to the Valley of the Sun for this early season showdown.

"Why," you ask "are so many great players convening in the desert this early in the season that the tournament is taking on a Majors-like atmosphere?"

Easy. In the immortal words of the rock band AC/DC, "Come on, come on, let me hear your money talk!"

The total Phoenix Open purse is $4 million. The winner's share is $720,000. There is enough money floating around on this tournament to cushion the big name players standing on the money list, and there will be enough left over to give the little name players enough cash to buy cars, and homes, and other things they never imagined owning.

	TPC of Scottsdale

But the Phoenix Open is about more than just the money. Perhaps Lehman summed it up best in his press conference following his emotional victory here last year.

Tom Lehman

Obviously, most of the world's best players feel that way too.

Join us this week at GolfArizona.com for our travel based tour coverage of the Phoenix Open. Start off with Senior Writer Shane Sharp's bang, bang tour of Scottsdale area golf.