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Trailing Tiger

Sometimes dreams really do come true. Or at least they did for fourth-year College student Huan Tran, who leaves for Las Vegas today to participate in the Tiger Woods Fantasy Golf Camp, led by the golfing phenomenon himself.

"I'm obsessed with golf and I love Tiger," Tran said excitedly, explaining that he has followed Woods' career since he won his first amateur tournament.

Last February while watching the Buick Invitational on television, Tran noticed an advertisement for a contest sponsored by the company.

"You had to guess Tiger's third and fourth round scores for the weekend," Tran said. The answers that Tran entered into Buick's Web site placed him among the 10 winners awarded the "once-in-a-lifetime chance to train with Tiger."

"When I got the call, I didn't believe the lady at first," Tran said. "You rarely win things like this. If there was one thing in life I would want to win, this was it."

Tran and a guest, his cousin, will be flown to Las Vegas where they will stay at the Bellagio Hotel until Sunday. During the days, the group will take part in golfing lessons from Woods and his instructor, Butch Harmon, at his golfing school at the Rio Secco Golf Club. They will also get the chance to see the Cirque du Soleil's performance of "O."

Tran said he is excited about his first trip to Las Vegas and the rare chance to meet his golfing idol.

"You can't just call up Tiger to hang out," he said. "I've blabbed to my friends about this for eight months now."

Tran started playing golf a few years ago and spends a lot of time at Charlottesville's Birdwood golf course, where he teaches the beginning golf class for the University.

"I played a lot the last two years for internships" with investment banking firms, Tran added.

"It's so relaxing and you get to go to some of the most beautiful places" to play, Tran said.

Even though the long-awaited trip comes during the stressful end-of-the-semester crunch, Tran is not worried.

"It's going to set me back four days, but I don't mind," he said. "This is the chance of a lifetime"

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