Jun. 30, 2011
The first round of the AT&T National is set to begin. The Golf Channel will televise live action from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and will re-air coverage from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 pm.
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| Groups we're watching |
| Tee time |
Players |
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8:15 a.m. ET
No. 10 |
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Gary Woodland, Nick Watney, Dean Wilson
Nine of our 10 experts picked Watney over Woodland in our Matchups Game Preview. Both have won this year, but Watney is No. 5 in FedExCup standings while Woodland is No. 9. |
8:26 a.m. ET
No. 10 |
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Harrison Frazar, Keegan Bradley, Jhonattan Vegas
Rookies Bradley and Vegas notched their first victories on TOUR this year, as did 13-year veteran Harrison Frazar. All three are in the top 45 of the FedExCup standings.
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12:55 p.m. ET
No. 1 |
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K.J Choi, Justin Rose, Adam Scott
This group features our Establishment vs. Youth matchup, as well as Rose, the defending champion. With a win, Scott would move inside the top 30 of the FedExCup Standings.
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1:06 p.m. ET
No. 1 |
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Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, Erik Compton
This is our Featured Group this week. It includes two of most consistent players in the FedExCup era, as well as the TOUR's best feel-good story, Erik Compton. |
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WHAT TO WATCH ON THURSDAY:
• Playoff parity: Mark Wilson (3rd), Nick Watney (5th), K.J. Choi (8th), Gary Woodland (9th), Webb Simpson (14th), and Hunter Mahan (19th) could all potentially over take the No.1 spot in the FedExCup standings with a win this week.
• Taming Aronomink: Justin Rose Rose relied on a solid tee-to-green performance en route to his victory at Aronimink Golf Club last year ranking 8th in total driving, T-10th for greens hit (74%) and T-8th for proximity to the hole averaging just over 34 feet to the pin on all approach shots. His 67.50 stroke average was impressive considering that Aronimink Golf Club ranked as the 4th toughest course on TOUR in 2010 (including majors) and was the 2nd toughest course on TOUR among all non-majors (71.22 course average).
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| Round 1 weather forecast |
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Clear skies
Temp: 83 high/62 low
Morning temperatures in the 60s. Warming up to 83 by midday. Winds around 9 mph. |
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| ShotLink Player notes |
| Here are some of the players you'll see on Golf Channel's coverage: |
| Mark Wilson |
| Mark Wilson led the FedExCup standings for 12 consecutive weeks on the strength of two wins in his first three starts. He finds himself third in the standings entering the AT&T National, the highest ranked player in the field this week. Wilson could potentially overtake Donald for the No. 1 spot with a fourth-or-better finish this week. |
| Jim Furyk |
| Jim Furyk is coming off a stretch of three consecutive missed cuts -- the Memorial through the Travelers Championship. The last time Furyk missed three consecutive cuts was in 2004 -- the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro through the Transitions Championship. |
| Erik Compton |
| Erik Compton claimed a popular victory when he won for the first time as a professional on Sunday at the Mexico Open by Banamex. The win came in his 95th Nationwide Tour start and jumped him to No. 2 on the money list, all but assuring he will have a PGA TOUR card for the first time next year. |
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