With the upcoming Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 releasing earlier than ever before--nearly two months before last year's game arrived, it's no surprise that information is coming quickly on the new golf game from the folks at EA Tiburon. Today, we've got the exclusive word on a new mode in Tiger 10--Tournament Challenge, which looks to have the player recreate, or even rewrite, some of the great moments in recent PGA Tour history. To learn more about the mode, we hit up assistant designer, Travis Sailer.

　　GameSpot: What is Tournament Challenge mode and how did it come about?

　　Travis Sailer: Tournament Challenge is a mode where you compete against some of golf's greatest moments on the courses that they happened on. You will have to match or beat some of Tiger and our other Tour pros' greatest shots and rounds ever. It came about from us combining all our great courses, great golfers, and the technology to be able to re-create these moments in real golf using GamerNet technology. So, not only will you get the chance to beat these moments but you'll actually get to see the golfers hit the exact shots they hit and make the scores they made.

　　GS: What was Tiger's involvement in this mode? What kind of advice or feedback does he offer the player?

　　TS: Tiger was very involved with this mode. We spent a long time interviewing him about each of his challenges and, throughout the mode, when you come across one of his moments he'll be there to give you a video introduction. He re-lives each legendary moment, gives advice, and offers some amazing insight unique to each challenge.

　　GS: Do all of the challenges in this mode center around Tiger or are other PGA pros included? Can you only play as Tiger or can you use someone else, such as your created golfer?

　　TS: No, there are multiple Tiger challenges throughout the mode but you will compete against almost all of our great Tour pros from Vijay Singh to Camilo Villegas, and many more. You play as your created character as it is also a way to build up your golfer.

　　GS: How are the challenges organized? By course, hole, or individual shot? Will you be trying to recreate specific shots, comebacks, etc.?

　　TS: The challenges are organized by course. Each card is a course with four challenges in it, that range in difficulty. As you move left to right and top to bottom the challenges will get harder. But, there's many different challenges throughout each course including "follow me" challenges, driving challenges, short game challenges, matches, and scoring challenges.

　　GS: Can you give me some examples of challenges found in this mode? How many challenges will this mode contain?

　　TS: There are "follow me" challenges where you will have to match the golfer shot for shot (i.e. make birdie as Tiger did in the third round of the 2001 The Players Championship when he drained the "better than most" snake putt from the back of the green). Or scoring challenges (i.e. match/beat Tiger's front 9 of the final round at 2002 U.S. Open Championship at Bethpage where he hit seven fairways in regulation and seven greens in regulation and shot a +1. So, you not only have to beat a +1 for the nine holes but you can't miss a fairway in regulation and you can only miss two greens on Bethpage in tough U.S. Open conditions). There's other challenges too as I answered earlier… driving, short game, putting, matches against golfers, etc. There's [a total of] 64 challenges.

　　GS: Tiger has had great moments at Augusta over the years but because that course isn't in the game (that I know of) how are you choosing to handle his Masters moments in this mode?

　　TS: Augusta and the Masters are not in the game this but we do have a bunch of his Major moments though from courses such as Bethpage Black and St. Andrews, to name a few.

　　GS: Is there any sort of online component to this mode?

　　TS: There isn't any direct online component to this mode but it is a way to build up your character and refine your golfer and game before you take him/her online to battle against other users.

　　GS: Thanks, Travis.

　　--

　　Which PGA Tour moments would you like to see in Tiger 10's Tournament Challenge Mode? Personally, the first one that jumps out at me is Tiger's remarkable win at last year's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines just before Woods went down for the count due to injury. Perhaps they can even mo-cap his bum knee...