A Look Ahead at Y2K:
Arizona Ready for Golf Bonanza

By Scott Behmer
Southern Arizona Bureau Chief

TUCSON - For golf fans the first year of the new millennium promises to be exciting. With the advent of Tiger Woods' Williams World Challenge in addition to the Phoenix and Tucson Opens, without a doubt this will be the best year ever for professional golf in Arizona. Further, the majors are being held at arguably the world's four finest courses.

	Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods' Williams World Challenge is the newest invitational tournament to come along, and definitely the most appealing. The top ten players in the world rankings as well as two special selections have been invited. To date, commitments include Tiger, Sergio Garcia, David Duval, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Tom Lehman, and Mark O'Meara. Only Lee Westwood and Jim Furyk have formally declined.

	Grayhawk Golf Club

In case you haven't seen enough of Tiger and Sergio, come out to The TPC of Scottsdale the week of January 17 and take in the Phoenix Open. This event has grown into the most-attended annual sporting event in America. With a history of down-to-the-wire finishes it's not a surprise that each year over 400,000 spectators enjoy the best golf in the world. Daily passes aren't enough for this event, a full-week pass is a must.

During the Monday and Tuesday practice rounds you can follow your favorite pros with ease. Next, check out Tuesday's Celebrity/Pro Shoot-out and Wednesday's Celebrity Pro-Am.

Finally, come out for the four days of tournament action where you're guaranteed to see spectacular play from the world's best.

A month later check out the Tucson Open held at the beautiful Tucson National Golf Resort. Again next year it'll be held on the same dates as the Andersen Consulting World Golf Championship, so Tucson will be without the world's top-64 players. However, longtime favorites Tom Kite, John Daly, and Fuzzy Zoeller as well as '99 winner Gabriel Hjertstedt should all be in attendance.

Also, Tucson will get its first glimpse of Nike Tour graduate Casey Martin. Currently known more for his cart riding, Casey's length rivals Daly, and his fan-friendly demeanor should make him an instant favorite.

Starting Easter week the major season begins with The Masters. This year we'll enjoy the four majors played at their rightful homes: The Masters at Augusta National, the British Open at The Old Course at St. Andrews, the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and the PGA Championship at Riviera Country Club.

Perhaps the four greatest courses in the world, one has to wonder why the majors aren't held at these historic sites every year. It'll be near impossible to match the dramatics of 1999, but majors held at these classic venues have a history of holding memorable tournaments.

	Sergio Garcia

Related links:
• Past GolfArizona.com course reviews
• Index of past feature stories
• Past course reviews by Scott Behmer