AT&T National: First-Round Notebook

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BETHESDA, Md. -- Steve Marino's first-round 65 was one off his career low on the PGA TOUR, a 6-under-par 64 in the third round of the 2008 Mayakoba Golf Classic, where he finished a career-best second behind Brian Gay. Earlier this year he opened with a 65 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and was two stokes off the 18-hole lead and managed to finish tied for fourth.

Fred Couples is looking to join a diverse list of champions at Congressional. (Martin/Getty Images)

PGA TOUR winners

At Congressional CC

Event Player 1964 U.S. Open Ken Venturi 1976 PGA Championship Dave Stockton 1980 Kemper Open John Mahaffey 1981 Kemper Open Craig Stadler 1982 Kemper Open Craig Stadler 1983 Kemper Open Fred Couples 1984 Kemper Open Greg Norman 1985 Kemper Open Bill Glasson 1986 Kemper Open Greg Norman 1997 U.S. Open Ernie Els 2005 Booz Allen Open Sergio Garcia 2007 AT&T National K.J. Choi

• In 18 starts on TOUR this year, Steve Marino has three top-10s and sits 50th in the FedExCup standings (4,548 points) and 54th on the money list with $1,093,911. His top-10s were a tie for fourth at the Sony Open in Hawaii, a second at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and a tie for 10th at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

• This is the first time that Steve Marino has held the first-round lead at a PGA TOUR event. His only lead after any round on TOUR came last year at the 2007 Wyndham Championship. He shared the 36-hole lead in Greensboro and finished tied for 32nd.

• Jeff Overton opened with a 4-under 66 at Congressional Country Club. He is still searching for his first top-10 of the season. Overton's last top-10 came in the last event of the 2007 season at Walt Disney World Resort, he finished tied for sixth.

• Frank Lickliter II, who opened with a 4-under 66, is another player near the top of the leaderboard searching for his first top-10 in 2008. In fact, he has not posted a top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR since the 2006 Walt Disney World Resort, where he finished tied for second after closing with a 10-under 62. last fall he regained his TOUR card as he won the 2007 TOUR Qualifying event in Orange County National. Lickliter made an appearance in the 1997 U.S. Open played at Congressional, but missed the cut.

• Rod Pampling, who opened with a 4-under 66, is looking for his third title on the PGA TOUR. His last win came at the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Pampling has had a solid season with four top-10s in 18 starts in 2008, including a tie for second at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

• Bob Estes is only one stroke back of the lead after an opening 4-under 66. Estes, whose last win on TOUR came at the 2002 Kemper Insurance Open, has struggled in 2008. He has made only seven cuts in 16 starts in 2008. His lone top-10 of the season was a tie for sixth at the Shell Houston Open.

• K.J. Choi, the defending champion of the AT&T National, opened with a solid round of 2-under 68. In five rounds played at Congressional Country Club he has four rounds in the 60s.

• The top two from the "British Open money list" are exempt for British Open after the completion of the AT&T National. This "British Open money list" includes PLAYERS Championship earnings plus winnings at the Stanford St. Jude Championship, U.S. Open, Travelers Championship, Buick Open and AT&T National. If a player does not use the exemption, the exemption is NOT passed on to the next player.

• The current top five on that list are Kenny Perry at $1,284,945 (not in the AT&T National field), Rocco Mediate at $866,030, Bubba Watson at $634,250 (not in the AT&T National field), Briny Baird at $619,250 (not in the AT&T National field) and Tommy Armour III at $589,780.

• In addition, the top player (at each event) at AT&T National and John Deere Classic not already eligible for the British Open who finishes among the top-5 and ties is eligible. The exemptions are NOT passed on to the next player if a player does not use the exemption.

• 48-year-old Tommy Armour III (67) has posted four top-10s in his last nine starts, including a tie for second at the Travelers Championship his last time out. The four top-10s are one shy of his career best of five (1999) and his earnings ($1,128,026) are a career high. He currently stands 49th in the FedExCup standings.

• Playing on a sponsors exemption, Notah Begay III, searching for his first top-10 since a tie for ninth at the 2006 Buick Championship, recorded a 3-under-par 67 on Thursday. After earning four wins and six top-10s over his first two seasons on TOUR (1999-2000), Begay has just eight top-10s since as back-related injuries have limited his playing schedule.

• Last year's 54-hole leader at the AT&T National, Stuart Appleby, who finished tied for third after a final-round 76, carded a first-round 67.

• Anthony Kim (67) is one of nine players under the age of 30 to have won on TOUR this year. A total of seven players under the age of 30 won last year on the PGA TOUR over the course of 48 events.

• The second edition of the AT&T National marks the 13th PGA TOUR or PGA TOUR Co-Sponsored event at Congressional Country Club. Three majors have been contested at Congressional, most recently the 1997 U.S. Open where Ernie Els edged Tom Lehman.

• There was only one eagle recorded on Thursday -- by Mathew Goggin (73), who eagled the par-5 16th hole

• Bogey-free rounds recorded on Thursday came from Steve Marino (65), Stuart Appleby (67), George McNeill (68) and Tim Herron (68). ... Steve Elkington (76) and Craig Kanada (79) withdrew after the first round. ... Shigeki Maruyama withdrew during his round due to a left thumb injury.