Will Ferell anchors Tiger Jam 10
Over the years, Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Miller, Kevin James, Chris Tucker and Ray Romano have introduced Tiger Woods at Tiger Jam, but this year Will Ferrell did the honors -- and no, this is not a character study for Ferrell, who has played a stock-car racer and figure skater in his last two comedies. The popular actor's wife, Viveca, introduced the two after she was hired by the Tiger Woods Foundation to be an auctioneer at a party in October '06. Will tagged along to that auction and bid on a package that included a trip to the Masters this past April.
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Being the 10th anniversary, Tiger Jam opened with a Friday night concert by Hootie and the Blowfish, the first band to play at Tiger Jam. Jon Bon Jovi sang on Saturday night, with American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry playing a strong set to open. Daughtry hustled to the airport after the show so he could get to the Indianapolis 500 for a sound check the next morning. In the past, Tiger Jam has featured A-list acts such as The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Sting, John Mellencamp, Christina Aguilera and Celine Dion.
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Backstage, Tiger's wife, Elin, sat with tennis star Lindsay Davenport, both pregnant at the time. Lindsay and her husband, Jon Leach, the former USC tennis star, met Tiger and Elin through their memberships at Shady Canyon in Irvine, Calif. There must have been something in the music that night because both women delivered early, Lindsay by three weeks on June 10 to son Jagger and Elin by about the same time on June 18, to daughter Sam Alexis.
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Kenny G added a layer of musical backdrop to Phil Mickelson's victory at the Players, doing a five-song set as part of the closing ceremony. "Phil is a good friend, and he gave me a couple of thumbs up. That felt really good," G said. "I later congratulated him on a very hard-fought victory."
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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have purchased the rights to the Bruce Edwards story, but author and Golf Digest contributing editor John Feinstein says production is being held up over financing. There is talk of William H. Macy playing Tom Watson. The Bruce III, a benefit for ALS research, will be held in September at Caves Valley in Owings Mills, Md...The lives of three-time British Amateur champion Joe Carr and former New York Giants co-owner Wellington Mara were the inspiration for Winged Foot's Len Horan to help organize an interclub match called the "Carr-Mara" at Ireland's Portmarnock in September. Teams from U.S. clubs will play teams from Irish clubs. Horan chaired the 2006 U.S. Open.
Rosaforte appears on NBC golf telecasts and on the Golf Channel's "Sprint Pre Game" and "Sprint Post Game" shows. Read his "Tour Insider" at golfdigest.com.