Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 First Look

The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is undoubtedly the rowdiest hole in golf. Throngs of fans pack the grandstands that surround the par-3 hole--most recently at the 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open--many of them in various stages of undress and even more drinking heavily. Unlike the relatively buttoned-up atmosphere of most golf tournaments, the 16th at TPC is a party where fans' enthusiasm shines through. Some of that atmosphere will come through in the upcoming Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, which will include TPC Scottsdale on its course roster, complete with a packed-house 16th hole.

Of course the big news surrounding EA Sports' Tiger series hasn't been the game; for the past few months, it has been all about Tiger Woods and his public problems away from golf. Nonetheless, EA has come out in public support for Tiger and, earlier in the year, stated that he would once again be the cover athlete for this year's golf game. What they didn't say is that Tiger wouldn't be the only golfer on the cover--for the first time in the series' history, Tiger will share the cover with another golfer: Irish rookie Rory McIlroy.

Now, you might see this as EA's first step toward pushing Tiger off the cover of the game that bears his name. Or you might remember that 2010 is a Ryder Cup year, when American and European golfers go head-to-head in a series of matches for the storied trophy of the same name. It's arguably the biggest biennial story in golf, and EA is making it a big part of Tiger 11.

When taking part in the Ryder Cup in Tiger 11, you'll essentially be acting as the captain of your chosen team (America or Europe). You'll be able to choose your lineup from the game's roster of real-life PGA pros (when playing the Ryder Cup during your created golfer's career, you'll be able to put your alter ego in the Cup matches). You'll also be able to decide pairings for the Cup's various rounds (which include match play, fourball, and foursome rules). When setting up a Ryder Cup match, you'll have lots of options to choose from, including number and type of rounds, the location you wish to play (including Celtic Manor in Wales, site of the real 2010 Ryder Cup), and more.

While exercising your inner Paul Azinger when selecting matchups is fun enough, you'll have another level of control in Ryder Cup matches that you could find only in a video game. Let's say you've begun a match play round as Tiger Woods and have built a comfortable lead over your opponent. In between rounds, you notice that your teammate Anthony Kim is struggling in his match--you can then take control of Kim and try to get him back in a successful position. This kind of flip-flopping between players is optional but will help you ensure that your favorite team takes home Samuel Ryder's cup each time you go out.

Competing for the Cup offline is great, but sticking it to friends and strangers online is where the real fun may lie in Tiger 11. Online team play in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Tiger 11 will let two teams of up to 12 players apiece go head to head in match play competition that is fast to play and heavy on the trash talk. Teams will be able to chat with each other via headsets to plan strategy or to give one another a hard time when a shot goes awry. This being match play, you'll be locked up in a battle with a specific player on the other team, though you will be able to see the shots of all players participating, thanks to the multicolored shot arcs that have become standard when playing Tiger online these days. As the match continues, you'll get a constant update of not only where you stand against your competitor but how your team matches up against its rival. There's no golfing equivalent of clan support this year--though that seems like an obvious inclusion for Tiger 12--but there will be leaderboards where you'll be able to compare your results against with others.

On course, Tiger's gameplay hasn't changed a great deal from previous years. Noticeable changes include an approach grid that will show you the break of the green in greater detail even from the teebox (especially useful when judging where to put the ball on a par 3), rough of variable lengths, and other minor touches like dynamic skies and players' clothing whipping about in the breeze. The mechanics of the golf swing--including the button-mashing backswing power-ups and midair spin--are still in place (though presumably you'll still have the option to turn them off when playing at higher difficulty levels).

If you're looking for true differentiation in controls, then the Wii version of Tiger 11 is where you need to be. Last year's game introduced the Wii MotionPlus accessory to the game, resulting in a lifelike swing mechanic, and this year, in addition to features like the Ryder Cup, the Wii version is taking the Wii MotionPlus swing control to the next level.

In last year's game, the Wii MotionPlus only measured the rotation of your wrist as you swung the Wii Remote, which would then determine the draw or fade put on the ball in the air. This year, depending on the swing mode you're using, Tiger 11 will take a much more complete look at your swing. For example, when using the advanced plus swing mode, the Wii MotionPlus will gauge your swing plane to determine the degree of inside/out or outside/in motion in your swing. This will also affect the flight of your ball at contact, and you'll get some handy feedback after each shot showing you exactly how you struck the ball.

True golf purists will most likely want to be hacking away using the Tour Pro swing option, which takes wrist rotation and swing plane into account and also factors in contact of the club head on the ball. Add to that a first-person view known as True View, which puts your perspective directly over the ball when hitting. When in this perspective, the camera doesn't move with the ball as it travels in the air--instead, you watch the ball flight from the spot you hit it, as you do in the real-life sport. And, as in a real PGA tournament, you might not know you hit a great shot until you hear the roar of the appreciative crowd. In short, Tour Pro swing mode seems about as close as the Tiger series has gotten to putting you on the golf course.

The sensitivity of the swing can be punishing, as we found out firsthand. You aren't just trying to swing with good speed to get some power underneath the ball; you're also looking to twist your wrists so they are flat at the moment of impact, have a nice even swing plane, and make contact at the fattest part of the club. In essence there are nearly as many things to think about as there are with a regular golf swing. It's little wonder, then, that when an EA producer put a golf ball on the ground and between our feet for use as a visual guide when swinging our putter, we were able to nail a 20-foot uphill putt.

Or, like it so often is the case with our real golf game, it might have just been blind luck. Look for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 on June 8 on all platforms.