AT&T National
Encyclopedia
The AT&T National is a professional golf tournament held in the Washington D.C. area during the Fourth of July
weekend. The PGA Tour
event is hosted by Tiger Woods
and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. The first AT&T National was held July 5–8, 2007
, at the Blue Course of the Congressional Country Club
in Bethesda
, Maryland
. The event returned to Congressional in 2008
and 2009
and has been held midway between the U.S. Open
and the British Open
to ensure a strong field of competitors.
Nick Watney
is the defending champion, winning in 2011 with a score of −13.
The event was officially announced on March 7, 2007, to replace The International
, which tour officials had abruptly cancelled on February 8, 2007. The AT&T National does not use the Modified Stableford scoring system used by The International in Colorado
.
The D.C. area hosted a regular tour event for over a quarter century. The Booz Allen Classic
arrived in 1980 but was terminated after the 2006
event. Originally named the Kemper Open, it was played at Congressional from 1980–86, then moved to the nearby TPC at Avenel in 1987. Congressional hosted the tournament in 2005
, while Avenel was undergoing renovations.
Congressional originally agreed to host the event for the first two years, and after opting out of hosting the 2009 U.S. Amateur, agreed to host the event in 2009 as well. The Aronimink Golf Club
in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania hosted the 2010 and 2011 events, due to Congressional being reconfigured for the 2011 U.S. Open
. The tournament is scheduled to return to Congressional from 2012 to 2014.
Other courses that were originally considered for the new tournament were in the Kansas City
, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Portland
areas. Possible sites for the 2010 and 2011 events were the TPC at Avenel in neighboring Potomac
(former site of the Booz Allen Classic
) and Robert Trent Jones
Golf Club in Gainesville
, Virginia
, (four-time host of the Presidents Cup
).
CBS
and the Golf Channel carry the AT&T National, which is the third event on the PGA Tour to be sponsored by the telecommunications giant
. The others are the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the AT&T Classic
(formerly the
BellSouth Classic).
, and consequently it has a reduced field of only 120 players (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Verizon Heritage
, the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
, and the Memorial Tournament
. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 120 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
weekend. The PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
event is hosted by Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. The first AT&T National was held July 5–8, 2007
2007 in golf
-Men's professional golf:Major championships*5-8 April: The Masters - American Zach Johnson won his first major tournament, in a high scoring week at Augusta.*14-17 June: U.S. Open - Ángel Cabrera became Argentina's first U.S...
, at the Blue Course of the Congressional Country Club
Congressional Country Club
The Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Congressional opened in 1924 and has hosted three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, and is an annual stop on the PGA Tour, with the AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods. The tournament was first...
in Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The event returned to Congressional in 2008
2008 in golf
-Men's professional golf:Major championships*10–13 April: The Masters - South African Trevor Immelman won his first major by a three-stroke margin....
and 2009
2009 in golf
-Men's professional golf:Major championships*9–12 April: The Masters - Argentina's Ángel Cabrera won his second major in a sudden death playoff over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell .*18–22 June: U.S...
and has been held midway between the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
and the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
to ensure a strong field of competitors.
Nick Watney
Nick Watney
Nicholas Alan Watney is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. The highlight of Watney's career to date is his victory at the 2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship....
is the defending champion, winning in 2011 with a score of −13.
The event was officially announced on March 7, 2007, to replace The International
The International (golf)
The International was a professional golf tournament played from 1986 to 2006 at the Castle Pines Golf Club at Castle Pines Village in Castle Rock, Colorado. It had the distinction of being one of two PGA Tour events not conducted at traditional stroke play, the only other exception is the match...
, which tour officials had abruptly cancelled on February 8, 2007. The AT&T National does not use the Modified Stableford scoring system used by The International in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
The D.C. area hosted a regular tour event for over a quarter century. The Booz Allen Classic
Booz Allen Classic
The Booz Allen Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast...
arrived in 1980 but was terminated after the 2006
2006 in golf
-Men's professional golf:Major championships*6–9 April: The Masters - Winner: Phil Mickelson The Augusta National course was lengthened to 7,445 yards for the tournament, generating some advance controversy. For the first time since 1954 neither Jack Nicklaus nor Arnold Palmer played...
event. Originally named the Kemper Open, it was played at Congressional from 1980–86, then moved to the nearby TPC at Avenel in 1987. Congressional hosted the tournament in 2005
2005 in golf
-Men's professional golf:Major championships*7-10 April: Masters Tournament - Tiger Woods defeated fellow American Chris DiMarco at the first playoff hole to claim his 4th Masters title, and his 9th major. He temporarily returned to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.*16-19 June: U.S...
, while Avenel was undergoing renovations.
Congressional originally agreed to host the event for the first two years, and after opting out of hosting the 2009 U.S. Amateur, agreed to host the event in 2009 as well. The Aronimink Golf Club
Aronimink Golf Club
Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Its championship golf course is consistently rated among the top 100 golf courses in the United States. In 2010, Aronimink was ranked #4 among the toughest courses on the PGA Tour by Links Magazine. The club has...
in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania hosted the 2010 and 2011 events, due to Congressional being reconfigured for the 2011 U.S. Open
2011 U.S. Open (golf)
The 2011 United States Open Championship, the 111th U.S. Open, was played June 16–19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. It was won by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who set 11 U.S. Open records on the weekend, including the lowest total 72-hole score and the lowest total under...
. The tournament is scheduled to return to Congressional from 2012 to 2014.
Other courses that were originally considered for the new tournament were in the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
areas. Possible sites for the 2010 and 2011 events were the TPC at Avenel in neighboring Potomac
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
(former site of the Booz Allen Classic
Booz Allen Classic
The Booz Allen Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast...
) and Robert Trent Jones
Robert Trent Jones
Robert Trent Jones, Sr. was a golf course architect who designed about 500 golf courses in at least 40 US states and 35 other countries all around the world...
Golf Club in Gainesville
Gainesville, Virginia
-Demographics:Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the census estimate of 2009, there were 28,662 people, 10,300 households, and 8,604 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile . There were 10,300 housing units...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, (four-time host of the Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
).
CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and the Golf Channel carry the AT&T National, which is the third event on the PGA Tour to be sponsored by the telecommunications giant
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
. The others are the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the AT&T Classic
AT&T Classic
The AT&T Champions Classic was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1990 to 2009. It was played annually in March in Valencia, California at the Valencia Country Club. AT&T is the main sponsor of the tournament....
(formerly the
BellSouth Classic).
Invitational status
The AT&T National is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, and consequently it has a reduced field of only 120 players (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Verizon Heritage
Verizon Heritage
The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic, is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup event, first played in 1969. The venue has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina...
, the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It has been played annually in May in Fort Worth, Texas on the course at the Colonial Country Club. It is one of five invitational tournaments held on the PGA Tour...
, and the Memorial Tournament
Memorial Tournament
The Memorial Tournament is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Nicklaus' home town of Columbus. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village...
. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 120 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).
Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Score | Earnings ($) | Host club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Nick Watney Nick Watney Nicholas Alan Watney is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. The highlight of Watney's career to date is his victory at the 2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship.... |
70-69-62-66=267 (−13) | 1,116,000 | Aronimink Golf Club Aronimink Golf Club Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Its championship golf course is consistently rated among the top 100 golf courses in the United States. In 2010, Aronimink was ranked #4 among the toughest courses on the PGA Tour by Links Magazine. The club has... |
|
| 2010 | Justin Rose Justin Rose Justin Peter Rose is a South African-born English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour while keeping his membership on the European Tour... |
69-64-67-70=270 (−10) | 1,116,000 | Aronimink Golf Club | |
| 2009 | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
64-66-70-67=267 (−13) | 1,080,000 | Congressional Country Club Congressional Country Club The Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Congressional opened in 1924 and has hosted three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, and is an annual stop on the PGA Tour, with the AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods. The tournament was first... |
|
| 2008 | Anthony Kim Anthony Kim Anthony Ha-Jin Kim is an American professional golfer.-Amateur career:A Korean American, Kim was born in Los Angeles, California and resides in Dallas, Texas. He attended La Quinta High School in La Quinta, California. After high school, he attended the University of Oklahoma for three years; this... |
67-67-69-65=268 (−12) | 1,080,000 | Congressional Country Club | |
| 2007 | K. J. Choi Choi Kyung-Ju Choi Kyung-Ju , also known as K. J. Choi. is a South Korean professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. Since turning pro in 1994, he has won a total of eighteen professional golf tournaments worldwide, including eight on the PGA Tour, making him Asia's most successful golfer. His... |
66-67-70-68=271 (−9) | 1,080,000 | Congressional Country Club |
External links
- PGA Tour.com – AT&T National