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There are any number of ways to quantify Tiger Woods' impact on the PGA Tour. For the purposes of the AT&T National, the simplest is this: about 32,000 people.

That number is approximately how many fewer fans entered the gates of Congressional Country Club in 2008 (107,000), when Woods sat out the AT&T National following knee surgery, than the year before (139,000), when Woods hosted the event in person. That is a difference of 23 percent.

The world's top-ranked golfer is back in 2009, and tournament organizers expect him to bring those 23 percent of fans back with him. Certainly, he has drawn another championship-caliber field of 120 invited professionals.

"I was watching it [last year], blowing up everyone's phone," Woods said at the tournament's media day in April. "I wanted to find out everything that was going on up here; I missed it so much. … I can't wait to get out here and play."

Even before last weekend's U.S. Open, six of the top 10 money-winners on the PGA Tour this year, including Woods, had committed to play in the event. The list includes the last three winners on Tour heading into the Open: Steve Stricker (Crowne Plaza Invitational, May 31), Woods (The Memorial, June 7) and Brian Gay (St. Jude Classic, June 14).

Four members of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings had already committed, as well: Woods (No. 1), Stricker (No. 8), Vijay Singh (No. 9) and Jim Furyk (No. 10). For the first time this year, the AT&T National field includes Ernie Els, who won the 1997 U.S. Open at Congressional, and 18-year-old U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee, who turned professional in April.

The defending champion is none of those stars, but 24-year-old Anthony Kim. His AT&T National title in 2008 made him the youngest player since Woods to win twice on the PGA Tour in one year.

Kim shot a final round of 5-under-par 65, coming from behind for a two-stroke victory over Frederick Jacobsen. His overall score of 12-under, 268, was the lowest four-day total in a professional tournament ever at Congressional, bettering Sergio Garcia's 270 in the 2005 Booz Allen Classic.

K.J. Choi, the 2007 champion, is also back. Choi also came from behind in the final round, making birdies on the 15th and 17th holes to clinch the title at 9-under par in the inaugural event.

Choi joins Kim, Els and 1983 Kemper Open champion Fred Couples as past winners at Congressional in next week's field. None of the four is having his best season on Tour. Going into the U.S. Open, Kim and Choi had just a single top-10 finish each to their names and were 58th and 59th, respectively, on the money list. The 49-year-old Couples was one spot above that, and Els 48th.

But all eyes will again be on Woods, doing double-duty as tournament host and world's most recognized athlete. Woods also puts on the Chevron World Challenge each December, which he has won four times.

But that event includes an exclusive field of just 18 players, and is not part of the PGA Tour calendar. Winning the AT&T National would be another of many firsts in Woods' career.

"The demands of what you have to do off the golf course is certainly something I've learned," Woods said. "How to handle the responsibilities and deal with that along with my preparation. I've got just an incredible staff that have done such a great job over the last couple of years with this event, and hopefully I can do my job and win."