Second-round notebook – AT&T National
* Robert Allenby (T14) made his 17th consecutive cut this week and is tied with Kenny Perry for second-most consecutive cuts behind Tiger Woods (29). On the season, he is 17-for-18 having missed the cut at the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii. Allenby’s season has been a model of consistency as he has T4 on TOUR with five top-10s, including a playoff loss to Justin Leonard at the Stanford St. Jude Championship. He finished T6 last year at the AT&T National and was the 36-hole leader at Congressional CC at the 2005 Booz Allen Classic before finishing T13.* Co-leader Tom Pernice, Jr. set the TOURNAMENT course record with a 7-under-par 63. The low score at Congressional CC at previous PGA TOUR CO-SPONSORED events was a 63 set by Matt Gogel (note: routing was different and par was 71 at the time) in the first round in 2005 at the Booz Allen Classic.
* When Matt Gogel posted his 63 in 2005 at the Booz Allen Classic, he was paired with Tom Pernice, Jr. (68) along with Glen Day (76). Gogel finished T7.
* Co-leader Jeff Overton, who is making his first start at the AT&T National and has not yet recorded a top-10 in 2008, posted a second round 5-under 65 for a 131 two-day total. His 65 matches his career low on TOUR, posted in the second round of the 2007 Wyndham Championship where he shared the second-round lead with John Huston and Steve Marino. Overton held a three-stroke lead entering the final round where he fnished T2 as he was overcome by Brandt Snedeker’s final-round 63.
* Jeff Overton’s bogey-free 65 on Friday was his first bogey-free round of the year and his first since the final round of the 2007 Viking Classic. Overton was one of five players without a miscue on Friday – he was joined by Jose Coceres, Matt Kuchar, J.J. Henry and Nick O’Hern.
* At the age of 25, Jeff Overton looks to join nine others under the age of 30 with a victory on the PGA TOUR in 2008.
* Anthony Kim, 23, the winner of the Wachovia Championship earlier this year at the age of 22 years, 10 months and 15 days, looks to join Tiger Woods (4), Phil Mickelson (2) and Kenny Perry (2) as a multiple winner in 2008. Kim enters Saturday’s third round tied for third with Cliff Kresge, three behind Jeff Overton and Tom Pernice, Jr. The last two players with multiple TOUR victories in one season under the age of 24 were Adam Scott (2004) who won THE PLAYERS Championship and the Booz Allen Classic at the age of 23, and Sergio Garcia (2001) who won the both the MasterCard Colonial and the Buick Classic in 2001 at the age of 21.
* Last year’s AT&T National runner-up Steve Stricker (T5) posted a 64 on Friday to temporarily set the tournament course record. Since posting four top-10s in his first seven starts, Stricker has struggled with five missed cuts in his last seven tournaments. Despite the struggles, Stricker sits 19th in FedExCup points with 6,848 – last year at this time, Stricker was 21st in FedExCup points entering the AT&T National with 6,830 before going on a late-season run that saw him finish second to Tiger Woods in the final FedExCup standings.
* John Merrick (T5) tied Steve Stricker for the second-best round posted on Friday, a 6-under-par 64. The California native is coming off a T6 at the U.S. Open in his second career major championship start. Merrick’s 64 was aided by eagles on Nos. 9 and 18. On No. 18, Merrick holed out with a pitching wedge from 130 yards after a drive of 350 yards.
* Todd Hamilton (T14) has not recorded a top-10 since a T10 at the 2006 John Deere Classic, but he has made seven cuts in his last eight starts and hovers among the top-10 entering this weekend’s action. Hamilton’s best finish in 2008 was T25 at the FBR Open.
* Corey Pavin (T40) aced the par-3 10th hole during Friday’s second round with a 3-hybrid from 215 yards. It marked the second hole-in-one in tournament history – last year Kevin Stadler aced the par-3 13th in the third round.
* U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate (T48) made his seventh consecutive cut this week, a sharp contrast to the opening of his season that saw him make just four of 13 cuts to start the year.
* Play was suspended at 4:50 p.m. due to a dangerous situation. Play resumed at 6:27 p.m. for a total delay of one hour, 37 minutes. It marks the 13th event on the PGA TOUR in 2008 that has been marred by a weather-related delay.
* The cut was 83 players at 3-over-par 143, with the cut jumping from 2-over-par to 3-over-par when Joe Ogilvie bogeyed the final hole to allow 13 players to make the cut. Last year the cut was 4-over-par 144, with 74 players making the cut. With more than 78 players making the cut, there will be a 54-hole cut to 70 and ties.
* Paul Goydos and Jason Gore withdrew during the second round.
Return to Tournament Notebook archives