As a rookie in 2009, Spencer Levin caught his first glimpse of
the
”
Tiger Effect
”
at the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, N.C. Levin was
making his way to the back nine when he noticed a crowd about
10-people deep around the practice green. He couldn’t see whom
everyone was staring it. Then again he didn’t have to.
”
Obviously it was Tiger Woods,
”
Levin recalled.
”
I was kind of looking around at everybody in the crowd, and
literally almost everybody was looking at Tiger.
”
I saw, I think it was (Angel) Cabrera … and he was walking to
the first tee, and he had like four people watching him. And he had
just won the Masters.
”
SAN MARTIN
As a rookie in 2009, Spencer Levin caught his first glimpse of the “Tiger Effect” at the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, N.C.
Levin was making his way to the back nine when he noticed a crowd about 10-people deep around the practice green. He couldn’t see whom everyone was staring it. Then again he didn’t have to.
“Obviously it was Tiger Woods,” Levin recalled. “I was kind of looking around at everybody in the crowd, and literally almost everybody was looking at Tiger.
“I saw, I think it was (Angel) Cabrera … and he was walking to the first tee, and he had like four people watching him. And he had just won the Masters.”
Three years later Woods remains as popular as ever, even with his recent troubles on and off the course. As no surprise Woods was the dominant topic of Tuesday’s Frys.com Open media teleconference, which featured tournament president Duke Butler, director Ian Knight and PGA Tour talents Kevin Chappell, Joseph Bramlett and Levin.
The half-hour long teleconference covered the tournament’s improved ticket sales, player field and potential to become a regular-season PGA Tour event. But all discussions led back to Woods.
“Coming out of last year’s event, we made expectations to have a major-player commitment to us to basically bring larger crowds,” Knight said. “So we’ve been working with those plans in the back of our minds. When the big-time pros started coming in … it was a different tournament.”
And later: “This gives us an opportunity to really build on the foundation for a world-class tournament in the Bay Area. So we’re very excited.”
Woods committed to play the Oct. 6-9 Frys.com Open in late August, hoping to get in a few more competitive rounds before his President Cup matches in November. Since then ticket sales have spiked to a point where Knight expects to the tournament to meet its daily limit of 15,000 fans — up from 10,000 a year ago — on the weekend.
Recent commitments by Justin Leonard, Ernie Els and Cabrera added to that.
“I could see a sellout,” Knight said. “But we’re not there yet.”
The players interviewed Tuesday couldn’t be more excited.
“It’s always fun getting to compete at home,” said Bramlett, a San Jose native who played for Stanford and made his PGA debut at the 2010 Frys.com Open, won by Rocco Mediate. “And when you have some of the top names in golf, it just makes it that much more exciting, and we’re that much more fired up to play.
“The players’ perception of the event is very good, very positive,” he added. “It’s going to get stronger each year. I think it’s exciting that the tournament’s getting bigger.”
Chappell agreed. The influx of marquee names this year should have a lasting positive effect on Silicon Valley’s first PGA tournament.
“We all like to compete, and competing against the best players in the world is what we all strive to do,” said Chappell, who tied for third at this year’s U.S. Open Championship. “Having Tiger in the field just adds to the prestige of the event at CordeValle. We all look forward to beating those players, and the only way to have that opportunity is to have them there.”
Levin looks forward to playing in front of a large crowd, as he did at Quail Hollow. He hopes Woods will give fans their money’s worth.
“If he plays the way he’s capable of it’s going to help everyone else out,” said Levin, a Sacramento native. “Anytime Tiger’s playing it’s good news. … It’s not good news for the other players, but it’s good news in the fact that people are going to come out and watch you.”
The most resounding quote was the final one.
“Word as definitely spread at the possibility of Fry’s becoming a regular-season event,” Chappell said. “It’s almost established itself as the fall major.”
