In bars, he's Tiger Woods

LYNNWOOD -- Michael Jaeger has never met Tiger Woods or shot 18 holes at Augusta, but he's going to Las Vegas for a world golf championship.

Here's the catch: He has to do it without clubs and a ball.

Jaeger plays "Golden Tee," a popular golf video game that has been mostly in pubs and bars around the world for the past 20 years. "Golden Tee" is connected to other machines across the country where people like Jaeger compete against one another in tournaments of varying size.

A virtual golfer since 1996, Jaeger is on the U.S. team and will fly to Las Vegas on Friday to compete in the 2008 Golden Tee World Championship.

A championship he could very well win.

"Now that I made the U.S. team, I'm ready to go all the way," Jaeger said. "Now I have a chance to prove myself to the world."

The championship pits Jaeger and 11 other members of Team USA against Team World: six Canadians, three Australians, two South Africans and a Briton.

To these guys it's as big as the Ryder Cup, because what other kind of competition allows regular guys to represent their country, said Gary Colabuaono, spokesman from Intelligent Technologies spokesman.

"It's amazing stuff, so much pride at stake, so much drama and passion," Colabuaono said. "They play for the world championship cup, playing for nothing but pride and country."

The second part of the tournament is all about the money, Colabuaono said.

That's a $20,000 grand prize.

Some might consider "Golden Tee" golf pure fantasy, a poor substitute for hitting 18 holes at Pebble Beach with millions of dollars in endorsements waiting for the winner.

To Jaeger, the Ducati Monster 695 motorcycle he won playing "Golden Tee" is real enough.

"I won the Ducati, I won a Caribbean cruise, a golf cart, a 42-inch high-def TV, an all-terrain vehicle, $5,000 in airline miles," Jaeger said. "Oh yeah, and a framed Fender Strat electric guitar signed by Eric Clapton. Almost forgot."

"Golden Tee" has a lucrative prize system that has changed over the years. Jaeger, who works as a bartender, said he's netted more than $25,000 a year in the last couple of years in cash and prizes.

"See that Apple iBook?" Jaeger said, pointing to a poster festooned with "Golden Tee" prizes. "That's mine. The game's not over, but I've already won it. I'm leading the tournament I'm in by a pretty wide margin -- no one can catch up to me."

Some have tried, and nearly all have done so and failed. Marcus Kershaw of Bothell has been playing "Golden Tee" on and off for three years with friends.

"It looks easy, and my girlfriend keeps asking me why I can't win anything -- but these courses are unreal," Kershaw said. "Plus it doesn't help playing this in a bar. Beer doesn't seem to help my average."

Kershaw shakes his head, staring at the high scores as they scroll down.

"I don't know how Jaeger does it. He's a machine," Kershaw said. "The boy's got skills, what can I say?"

Jaeger estimated he's played more than 15,000 games since starting in 1996. Each game of "Golden Tee" costs $5 to play, which he wins back every game in which he places first. All four "Golden Tee 2008 Live" machines in the Just Left Bar and Grill in Lynnwood display his nickname "Glovin' U.S.A."

Jaeger takes a card out of his wallet and inserts it into the machine. The card tracks his "Golden Tee" account like a debit card, allowing him to cash in on his winnings and pay for new games.

"Golden Tee" is played with a giant track-ball that spins in the console of the game. Using the track ball for swinging, players can also slap the golf ball in a variety of ways to curve their drive down the digital fairway.

As the game starts, Jaeger pulls on a black weight-lifting glove. He sustained an injury playing "Golden Tee" three years ago when he slammed his hand on the trackball, breaking a blood vessel in his left palm.

"It's called a 'spinny-shot'," Jaeger said as he crouches, then smacks the track-ball, sending the golf ball flying again -- right into a water hazard.

Jaeger grunts, whispering: "Don't report that shot -- I don't want to remember it."



Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.