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Tiger Woods Honors U.S. Troops at Golf Tournament
(July 5, 2009) |
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| | BETHESDA, Md., July 2, 2009 – Golfing
great Tiger Woods spent the week leading up to the nation's
birthday honoring those men and women serving in the
military during the Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am golf
tournament at the Congressional Country Club here. |
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| U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ramon Padilla, left, Tiger Woods, center, and U.S. Army Maj. Ken Dwyer hit the ceremonial first shot at the opening ceremony of the Earl Woods Pro-am golf tournament at the Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md., July 1, 2009. Dwyer is wounded warrior assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group. Padilla, also a wounded warrior, is assigned to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. |
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The tournament was named after Woods' father, a former Army
officer who served during the Vietnam era. During the tournament, 26 active-duty
servicemembers, representing each service, were given the opportunity to caddie
for professional golfers.
“It felt great! I should buy a lottery ticket because the way my luck is going,
I might just hit the jackpot,” said Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Michael Barrett,
who caddied for Woods and last year's tournament winner, Anthony Kim.
At the end of the 174-yard, par 3 hole, Woods passed the putter to Barrett for
the final putt. Although he missed that putt, along with a second putt to end
the hole for Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo, Barrett said it was still a
memorable moment.
“I know I'm gonna get it from my boys back home because I missed both putts, but
it was still a great experience.” Barrett is a 16-year Marine Corps veteran,
with two tours in Iraq, who was injured by a roadside bomb.
Two Army wounded warriors, Staff Sgt. Ramon Padilla and Maj. Ken Dwyer, were a
part of the ceremonial first shot with Woods to begin the tournament.
“The fact that Tiger wanted to include ... servicemembers in something he feels
very emotional about means a lot to me,” said Dwyer, who is assigned to the 3rd
Special Forces Group based on Fort Bragg, N.C.
In addition to tournament ticket discounts and complimentary tickets for
military members, the USO set up a care package tent for deployed troops.
During the opening ceremony, the Navy's Ceremonial Guard Drill Team and singer
Jessica Simpson performed the national anthem. A precision parachute
demonstration team from the 101st Airborne Division based on Fort Campbell, Ky.,
descended over the first hole in a four-man formation to present the golf balls
used during the ceremonial “tee off” that would begin the competition.
Woods summed up the military's special role during a press conference: “To see
what they deal with on a daily basis and what they have to go through by putting
their lives on the line for us ... Everyone in this room should thank these
servicemembers ... for what they do.” | |
Article and photo by USAF Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo
Army and Air Force Hometown News Service
Special to American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2009
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