Tiger Woods To Play at AT&T National Golf Tournament

Tiger Woods photo courtesy Keith Allison on Flickr.

Woods ignores AT&T's sponsor drop to play AT&T National.

Elin Nordegren must be fuming. We informed you early this week that Nordegren took off to Sweden, reportedly because she's sick of Tiger Woods putting his career before the repair of his family. But Woods has just announced that he'll play in a third golf tournament this year -- nevermind AT&T doesn't want him.

Tiger Woods will participate in the annual AT&T National in Philadelphia. The AT&T National is set to take place Fourth of July weekend at Philly's Aronimink Golf Club in ritzy Newton Square. There was a good deal of question surrounding the potential of Tiger Woods participating in the AT&T National -- would he or wouldn't he? -- but on Wednesday, Woods announced via his Web site that he'll come out swinging. Here's what he posted:

"Philly is a great sports town and I'm excited to play at Aronimink Golf Club." Woods also said, "I'm really looking forward to defending my title at the AT&T National." (The Vancouver Sun reports Woods won the tournament last year when it was played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland).

Nevermind that Tiger Woods mega-sponsor AT&T dropped Tiger on December 31, presumably because of the sex scandal Woods was involved in that may have damaged AT&T's brand image. However, the Tiger Woods Foundation for the leadership of young kids benefits from the AT&T National, so it's only natural that Tiger will play. (It's reported that last year he donated his prize money of $1.08 million to the foundation.) Says Aronimink president David Boucher, "I'm not surprised. This tournament is run by [Tiger Woods'] foundation and it benefits his foundation. It makes an awful lot of sense to me that he'll be playing."

It's also reported that Woods will compete in the British Open at St. Andrews in mid-July.

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We guess this means no Woods family July Fourth barbecue? No "Kiss the Cook" aprons? Not so much. Flip through our Tiger Woods slideshow and read about his separation from wife Elin Nordegren here. Also HUGE celeb photo section:
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