Fantasy Golf: AT&T National Primer

June 30, 2008 12:00pm CDT

The 2008 AT&T National
Congressional Country Club @ Bethesda, MD
- Dates: Thursday, July 3 – Sunday, July 6
- FedEx Cup Points: 25,000
- 2008 Purse: $6,000,000 ($1,080,000/Buick Automobile Winning Share)

TV Schedule
First Round – Thursday, July 3 – Golf Channel 4-6pm EST
Second Round - Friday, July 4 – Golf Channel 4-6pm EST
Third Round – Saturday, July 5 – CBS, 3-6pm EST
Final Round – Sunday, July 6 – CBS, 3-6pm EST


The Course

Congressional Country Club – Blue Course
Course Par Value: 70
Course Yardage: 7,255

Built in 1922, the Congressional Country Club's famous Blue Course was built on land originally dedicated as hunting grounds, an area where local members would go fox hunting over the hills and into the woods. The Club commissioned Devereux Emmett to design the course, and his vision would become the host course for some of the more illustrious and exciting golf tournaments the Tour has ever seen.

Since that time, the Blue Course has laid witness to renovation. Most recently, the Congressional Country Club has hired famous golf architect Rees Jones to improve the track and insure is meets today's demands for top PGA challenges, and he remains on retainer for continued renovations today.

Length and obstacles have been added over time, but the network of native features remains as the identifying trademarks of a course consistently rated as one of the best in the country. This track has served as host for the US Open three times, the PGA Championship once, and numerous events of tall standing have been played here in the past as well, and now the PGA is adding this course as one of the Tour's regular stops as the host of the AT&T National.

Hole 6 (Par 4, 518 yds): This tough hole plays as a par 5 for the members but will play as a par 4 for PGA Tour combatants. The tee shot needs to avoid a grove of trees along the left as bunkers, a stream and out-of-bounds lay in wait on the right. On the long, demanding second shot, players should avoid the pond guarding the right side of the green. The green is fairly forgiving and will reward those that survive the treacherous journey up the fairway.

Hole 9 (Par 5, 502 yds): On one of the most demanding holes on the course and renown for the challenges it has created in U.S. Open history, bunkers guard both sides of the fairway off the tee. Players must lay up on their second shot to avoid the deep ravine in front of the green. Because of that ravine, it is unwise to attempt reaching this green in two, thus putting is at a premium on a tight landing surface. If you carry a strong short game and sink it in one, you should be proud.

Hole 14 (Par 4, 454 yds): Players must drive the ball into the fairway if they hope to make par, for the native rough is kept long and will all but swallow errant tee shots. The right side of the fairway falls off quickly and a wayward drive to the left may find an out-of-bounds fence. Most players face long second shots from a slightly downhill lie, a daunting challenge that can create difficulty for those stressing their abilities with short irons.

Hole 18 (Par 4, 466 yds): Congressional's signature hole sets up perfectly for a long, right-to-left tee shot. Anything too far right could find trouble as well as a thick grove of cedars. Bunkers right of the green combined with water on three sides make the second shot a test of courage but one several will find tempting with hopes of closing on a positive note. It is a true test of golf acumen sure to provide an exciting conclusion if the tourney is close on Sunday.


2007 Review

~ 2007 Results
PLACE PLAYER FINAL
1 K.J. Choi -9 (271)
2 Steve Stricker -6 (274)
T3 Pat Perez -3 (277)
T3 Jim Furyk -3 (277)
T3 Stuart Appleby -3 (277)
T6 Robert Allenby -2 (278)
T6 Tiger Woods -2 (278)
T8 Hunter Mahan -1 (279)
T8 Rocco Mediate -1 (279)
T8 Brandt Snedeker -1 (279)
T8 Mike Weir -1 (279)
T12 Geoff Ogilvy 0 (280)
T12 Jeff Quinney 0 (280)
T12 Vijay Singh 0 (280)
T12 Craig Kanada 0 (280)
T12 Mathew Goggin 0 (280)
T12 Boo Weekley 0 (280)
T12 Lucas Glover 0 (280)


The Field

It is only the second time around for the AT&T National as '07 served as the inaugural season for this event, but the field is surprisingly strong. The course has much to do with this. Congressional has long stood as a venue of great respect and admiration among Tour professionals. Tiger hit the links here last year, and that alone shows just how powerful the draw to this tourney can be.

Tiger is out with the bum knee, but many of the top names are committed to attend. Jim Furyk continues to carry a busy itinerary for the '08 season and will be on hand to take part. Defending champion K.J. Choi is ready to insure this trophy is properly represented and, hopefully, retained. Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby are both set to take part as well, both having put forth strong outings on this course last season. Steve Stricker will also be on hand as he attempts to get momentum swinging towards the positive as the Open Championship (i.e. the British Open) comes into view.

There are some names missing. Among the world's elite failing to make the trip are Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Stewart Cink, Justin Rose, and Padraig Harrington. Still, the list of combatants is impressive. For every top talent missing from the field, there is a rising star hoping to use the national stage to join the illustrious list.

Other golfers of note in the field include Aaron Baddeley, Jeff Quinney, Sean O'Hair (watch this one; nursing a chest injury, he seems likely to withdraw), JB Holmes, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, Ryuji Imada, Fred Couples, Steve Marino, Andres Romero, Mathew Goggin, Bart Bryant, Nick Watney, John Merrick, Vaughn Taylor, Johnson Wagner, Ryan Moore, Trevor Immelman, DJ Trahan, Brandt Snedeker, and Rocco Mediate.

Enjoy.

To view the entire field:
http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r471/course.html