Tiger caps off storybook-ending to Wachovia

One of the last things Tiger Woods did before leaving the Quail Hollow Club after winning the Wachovia Championship Sunday was to drop in on a champagne toast in his honor held by the tournament organizers.
Woods was wearing his new blue champion’s blazer and joined tournament organizers Mac Everett, Johnny Harris and Ken Thompson, among others, to celebrate his victory.

The champion thanked everyone for their support and efforts, offering high praise in the process. He smiled and said he’d be back as defending champion next year, prompting someone to suggest putting 2008 tournament tickets on sale immediately.
It is the wish of every tournament organizer to have Woods play in their event, a wish denied more often than it’s granted.
To have Woods win is a double bonus.

It was a storybook week for the Wachovia Championship, which keeps finding ways to top itself.
Topping this week will be tough.
The Woods-Michael Jordan pro-am pairing was a brilliant stroke of fortune and marketing savvy. It captured international attention not to mention the imagination of the city.
Then the tournament unfolded beautifully. There has never been a better day of golf in the Wachovia’s five-year history than Saturday. It was spellbinding with players holing shots from the fairway then one disaster after another piling up at the end.
Woods took command midway through Sunday afternoon and, though he had a couple of hiccups, he brought it home.

In the locker room early Sunday evening, shortly before he left town, Woods was talking with a couple of tournament officials who asked about the crowd noise. Woods said it was uncommonly loud, unlike what he hears at most other events. He loved it.
No wonder.
There was a lot to love about it.