AT&T National: Opening Rounds
Telling Tiger Woods he cannot do something is like telling...well, a tiger he cannot hunt.
As the tournament host, Woods shot an opening round 73 at the AT&T National and some counted him out after the first round due in large part to that 73 and the possible distraction of his first child being born just two weeks ago.
After a second round 66, Woods is back in the hunt.
He trails 36-hole leaders KJ Choi and Stuart Appleby by six shots at the AT&T National being played at Congressional Country Club. Congressional hosted the 1997 US Open and this week the course is playing similar to that ’97 track. If we know anything about US Open courses, we know that large comebacks can be mounted on them.
The rest of the field hopes Woods does not mount that comeback.
But, as of right now, a win at Tiger’s tournament will have to go through Choi and Appleby.
Choi is looking to back up his win at Jack Nicklaus’s tournament, the Memorial, with a win at Tiger’s tournament.
Appleby is looking for his first win of the 2007 season. He has notched a win every year since 2003.
Some players who will not get the chance of winning Woods’ inaugural event are two top-5 ranked golfers.
Adam Scott, the fifth ranked golfer in the world, continued his up-and-down year. Rounds of 72 and 76 put Scott four strokes over the cut line. This was Scott’s first tournament since he missed the cut at the US Open.
Phil Mickelson, the world’s second ranked player, also chose the AT&T National to be his first tournament played since he missed the cut at this year’s US Open. Mickelson was one stroke clear of the cut line in the second round until the par-5 16th. A fairway drive was wasted when Mickelson pulled his second shot into an out-of-bounds fence, he then took an unplayable lie which eventually led to a double bogey.
