NORTON here's an outside chance this year's Deutsche Bank Championshipcould include an appearance by Tiger Woods.The world's number one golfer won't be playing. Woods underwentseason-ending knee surgery shortly after capturing the U.S. Openlast NOTEBOOK month and may notowever, Seth Waugh, head of Deutsche Bank Americas, said on Mondaythat Woods - whose Tiger Woods Foundation is the chief charitablebeneficiary of the $7 million PGA Tour event - may visit TPC Bostonduring the Labor Day weekend tourney.Waugh said he recently had dinner with Mark Steinberg, Woods'agent, to start working on a plan to bring Woods to Norton.There's no question that he wants to make his presence felt heresomehow during the course of that week," Waugh said. "I don't knowif it'll be in person or in some other way. He's very proud of whatwe've built here. He's very proud of the over $10 million we'veraised for the (Tiger Woods) Learning Center as well as for othercharities, and he feels a real ownership of this event, so we'llfigure that out."During the tournament's five-year history, Woods has served as itsunofficial host. The tournament's success and frequent sellouts areoften credited to Woods' presence in the field each season.Changes at TPCAnother year, another time for more changes at the TPC Boston.Brad Williams, general manager of the golf course, said subtlechanges have been made this season to improve upon the dramaticmakeover which the TPC Boston underwent last year. All of thechanges are intended to further the course's transformation from amodern though standard PGA Tour course to more of a New Englandstyle course.The biggest change is on the ninth hole where a large fairwaybunker and several "chocolate drop" mounds have been added. Inaddition, the greens on the first and 10th holes have been slightlyreshaped while bunkers were altered on the fourth and 11th holes."We don't feel they're going to play a significant role in ... thisyear's championship," Williams said, "but we ... feel they'rereally going to add some interest to the golf course and make theplayers think a little bit more," a goal of Gil Hanse, thearchitect who redesigned the course with PGA Tour veteran BradFaxon.Local connectionAnthony Kim, one of the PGA Tour's rising stars, knows his wayaround the area - at least a little.Kim is friends with Jim Renner, the Plainville native and pastAttleboro Area Golf Association champion now trying to make his wayon to the tour. The two struck up a friendship during the NortheastAmateur a few years ago and became closer while playing together onthe golf team at the University of Oklahoma.Even after Renner left Oklahoma to transfer to Johnson & WalesUniversity in Florida and Kim joined the PGA Tour, the two stayedin touch, to the point that Kim stayed at Renner's Plainville homeduring last year's tournament."We've gotten to be pretty good friends, so I've visited him quitea few times here and actually stayed at his house last year duringthe event," Kim said on Monday during a visit to the TPC Boston topromote this year's Deutsche Bank Championship. "Whenever I comehere, I feel very welcome, and obviously being able to play thisgolf tournament is going to make it even better."MIKE KIRBY can be reached at 508-236-0344 or at mkirby@thesunchronicle.com
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