May 21, 2007–We may all dislike the fact that Tiger Woods annually chooses to miss the Las Vegas PGA Tour stop, but his dislike to for the ease of the courses and the pro-am format doesn't mean he has a disdain for Las Vegas and its golf courses in general. He loves Las Vegas so much that he annually hosts his major fundraiser, the Tiger Jam, at the Mandalay Bay and this year there are several golf course events happening at the fabulous Las Vegas golf course Cascata, a Rees Jones-designed masterpiece in the hills above Boulder City. Bon Jovi headlines the annual concert and Jam, and many other high-powered celebrities are expected to attend the festivities. The list of celebrities that have hit the red carpet of the event include Kevin James, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Pam Anderson, Kid Rock, Prince, Celine Dion, Glen Frey, Steve Wonder, Sting, Christina Aguilera, and many others. This marks the second time that Bon Jovi has been the main headliner. "We are fortunate to have had so many musical greats lend their talents to Tiger Jam," Woods told M Magazine, the official publication of MGM Mirage, parent company of the host hotel. "I'm really excited to have Bon Jovi back this year. Jon, Richie, Tico and Bryan, those guys put on an awesome show."
Tiger's Las Vegas ties run very deep. For many years, Tiger worked with Las Vegas golf's own Butch Harmon at the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco Golf Club, and he also spends quite a bit of time here with physical therapist Keith Kleven, the UNLV golf team's guru, who got to know Tiger when he was being recruited by UNLV Mens Head Golf Coach Dwaine Knight. It was very close at the end, but Tiger ended up picking Stanford over UNLV at the last second.
Tiger was very excited when discussing why Las Vegas is the perfect spot for Tiger Jam.
"It's Vegas!," he said. "It's absolutely perfect for Tiger Jam. Our sponsors, including our presenting sponsor AT&T, love Las Vegas and the local fans are great. We are thrilled to be here and to celebrate our 10th jam."
The Tiger Jam benefits several charities including the Tiger Woods Foundation and the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Calif. In 2006, the event raised $1.5 million.
Several of the events surrounding the Tiger Jam are private and invitation only, but the Bon Jovi concert is open to the public. For ticket information, visit TigerJam.com.