AT&T National: Not so lonely at the top

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By Barker Davis

An unlikely pair of bottle rockets provided the primary Fourth of July show at Congressional Country Club during Friday's second round of the AT&T National.

Undecorated Jeff Overton fired first, adding a 65 to his opening 66 to top the early morning leader board at 9 under on the 7,204-yard, par-70 layout. Shortly thereafter, veteran Tom Pernice Jr. erupted on Old Blue. Authoring a series of approach shots that yielded virtual kick-ins, the 48-year-old journeyman matched the course record with a 63 to join Overton at the 36-hole pole before intermittent afternoon showers put a damper on the day's scoring pyrotechnics.

Overton came to Congressional in the midst of a slump that had seen him miss the cut in six of his seven previous events. But a season that has produced just one top-25 finish in 18 starts began to turn around Monday, when the former Indiana University All-American (2005) took medalist honors by blistering the field by six strokes at the 36-hole British Open qualifier at the TPC of Michigan (63-67).

Having harnessed a driver that had betrayed him all season, Overton showed up at the AT&T National with his confidence brimming. Friday, the 25-year-old hit 15 fairways and posted birdies each time he visited the rough (Nos. 1, 9 and 17).

"I've been struggling with the driver and 3-wood all year actually, but it's really starting to come around," said Overton, who along with Pernice holds a three-stroke lead over Anthony Kim (6-under 134) and Cliff Kresge (134) heading into the weekend. "The last seven or eight days, it's just been feeling awesome."

Now in his third season on tour, Overton is not a complete stranger to overnight leads. Last year at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., Overton held a three-stroke margin through 54 holes before fellow young gun Brandt Snedeker beat him to the first-time winner's circle with a closing 63.

"The first [victory], they say, is always the hardest," Overton said. "I played well that Sunday, shot 2 under and got beat because Sneds goes nuts and shoots 63 on me. ... Like they say, 'These guys are good.' All you can do is give yourself chances, take care of your own game and hope your time comes."

Pernice understands that waiting game well. He bounced around on smaller tours from Asia to the U.S. for the better part of 15 years as a pro (1983-97) before sticking on the PGA Tour in 1998 and earning his first PGA victory at age 39 in 1999 (Buick Open). Pernice has won again in the interim (2001 International) and racked up 32 top-10 finishes in his 40s. But he's still best known for his outspoken, and often unpopular, opinions and his unofficial role as Vijay Singh's mouthpiece and closest friend.

Neither Pernice nor Overton would earn many votes as the favorite to capture the AT&T National's crystal replica of the Capitol, not given their relatively thin resumes, and particularly not given the presence lurking three strokes back.

Kim's cruise to 6 under after hitting 15 greens en route to a second straight 67 indicates the field's ultimate firework has yet to go off.

"That was the best ball-striking round I've had in a while," the 23-year-old said."I got nothing out of my game after the break and that was unfortunate, but I've got two more days to go."

Perhaps that's a disconcerting fact for the 83 players who survived the AT&T National's weekend cut at 3 over or better. Kim is widely considered the game's next megastar (see nickname - "Second Coming") and he ranks second in the field this week in greens in regulation (29 of 36). And over the weekend, he plans to break out his belt buckle.

After two days of laboring without his signature "AK" belt buckle, Kim hopes to reverse his karma on the greens by introducing golf to a new fashion accouterment.

"I didn't want to bring it out unless I was in the final group, but I might have to bring it out early," said Kim, who became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in six seasons when he collected his first victory earlier this season at the Wachovia Championship. "I guess a lot of people noticed my belt buckle last year. A lot of my friends thought it was really expensive, but it was actually only 40 bucks and I got it at the mall. But I got an expensive one made. It's waiting back at my room, and I'm going to be wearing it this weekend."

With or without a belt buckle, those in attendance at the AT&T National have a sneaking suspicion the fuse of the future has been lighted.