May 17, 2009–About halfway through their set, No Doubt, headliners of Tiger Jam XII presented by AT&T, broke into one of their hits, "Running", an inspiring ballad featuring lyrics "Running, as fast as we can", describing an attempt to keep the pace. During the song, a large screen showed old video from the band as they traveled and made themselves into one of the world's biggest bands. It was hard not to think about the same road that Tiger Woods has traveled, making himself into one of the world's biggest stars, from a young kid winning U.S. Amateur titles to a 20-year old winning his first PGA Tour event in Las Vegas (1996 Las Vegas Invitational) to a 33-year old in Las Vegas this past weeked for his 12th Tiger Jam, with a goal, as he stated, to help "10 million kids live better lives."
With No Doubt coming together for the first show of a new concert tour–the first time they have toured in five years–Tiger Jam XII was as big as ever, and the sold-out Mandalay Bay Events Center was rocked by lead singer Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young (a single digit handicap golfer), plus background musicians Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair. Among the notables attending the show plus a private live and silent auction reception prior to the concert were PGA Tour players Fred Couples and John Cook (he gave a clinic with Woods to VIP guests on Friday at Las Vegas golf course Cascata), LPGA Tour star Natalie Gulbis, television personality Robin Leach, former Nevada Governor Bob Miller, and two-time Super Bowl-winning Quarterback Ben Roethisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other Las Vegas golf events surrounding Tiger Jam also took place at Rio Secco Golf Club. Both Cascata and Rio Secco Golf Club are Las Vegas resort golf courses designed by Rees Jones. You can click to the official websites of Cascata and Rio Secco to reserve your Las Vegas tee times.
Following solid sets by opening acts The Sounds and Paramore, Roethlisberger took the stage and was greeted by cheers and a smattering of boos, to which he replied, there must be some "Steeler haters out there". Roethisberger then took out a piece of paper, and for a second, began a serious speech before saying, "Aw, forget this … Tiger Woods!" The world's greatest golfer then took the stage, said a few words about the important mission of his foundation, before ducking off stage after welcoming No Doubt to the stage.
Stefani thanked Tiger during her performance, saying, "Thank you, Tiger, this is so amazing!" Stefani also commented that, in life, you always remember your firsts, and since this was the first concert of the new tour, the band would always remember Las Vegas, and that the crowd was doing a good job of making it a positive memory. Stefani was a commanding presence on the stage, continually bounding and dancing from one side to the other, doing 10 push ups at one point, and then thrilling the audience when she ran from the stage, through the crowd, before ending in the middle of the fans at the far end of the arena where she implored the fans to sing her major hit, "I'm Just a Girl". No Doubt played seemingly every major hit during the show before ending, appropriately with "Sunday Morning" as the clock was about to hit midnight on a Las Vegas Saturday night/Sunday morning.
Since its creation in 1998, Tiger Jam has raised more than $11 million for the Tiger Woods Foundation and select Las Vegas based charities through its sold-out performances and one-of-a-kind auction items. Tiger Jam was created by the Tiger Woods Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering young people to reach their maximum potential. Since its inception in 1996 by Tiger Woods and his father Earl, the Tiger Woods Foundation has reached an estimated 10 million young people through character development, career exploration, scholarships and grant making programs. Programs developed and supported by the Tiger Woods Foundation all share a similar mission of empowering young people to dream big and to set specific goals to achieve their dreams. Stick to GolfLasVegasNow.com for a final recap of Tiger Jam XII with more photos coming soon.