Corey Pavin isn’t in contention at the AT&T National as he was early in last year’s event.
It didn’t stop him from authoring one of the tournament’s most memorable moments.
Pavin delivered the tournament’s second hole-in-one in as many years, drilling it with a 4-wood rescue from 215 yards at the 10th hole at Congressional Country Club.
“It landed about 20 feet short and landed on the green and I thought ’This is looking pretty good,’” Pavin said. “It just rolled up and I was thinking ’This is looking even better.’ It just broke a little left and trickled right in the hole. It looked like it was perfect speed from the tee.”
The hole-in-one got Pavin to even par, and he finished there after shooting 67. Pavin estimated he has made between 15 and 20 aces, although it had been a couple years since his last one.
”It’s always pretty exciting, though,” Pavin said. “I was thrilled. It came at a great time, too, as far as the tournament goes. I was 2 over standing on that tee, and that really helped me make the cut.”
Kevin Stadler had the AT&T National’s other hole-in-one in last year’s third round at No. 13.
Pampling stays afloat
Rod Pampling didn’t find the same sort of luck as he did on the first day of the tournament.
It didn’t prevent him from loitering on the leader board for another round.
The Aussie shot a 1-under 69, mixing three birdies with two bogeys to remain in contention.
“I really played well today,” Pampling said. “I missed a bunch of putts. I think I made one putt over 10 feet today, and that was really it. That part was disappointing, but I’ve been hitting it really well.”
The solid day didn’t get him any closer to the lead. Pampling entered the second round one shot behind Steve Marino but will start the weekend four strokes behind Jeff Overton and Tom Pernice Jr.
Thoughts on No. 6
The sixth hole - traditionally a par 5, but converted into a long par 4 for this tournament - generated attention earlier in the week for perhaps not providing the sort of test it was designed to offer.
It wasn’t so much of a problem Friday, as the stroke average fell from 4.345 to 4.043 with the tees moved up and players benefiting from a wind in morning play.
“I don’t like when they put us back another tee and we’re hitting 4-irons in there,” said Steve Stricker, who used a 7-iron for his approach shot yesterday. “It’s really not a 4-iron green. I hope they play it as a par 5 in the [U.S.] Open in 2011.
“I just think what they did with the Open this year at Torrey Pines, they made a lot of excitement out of changing some of those holes and keeping them as par 5s. … There’s nothing wrong with making birdies. The course is hard enough as it is, and especially for an Open it will be difficult. I think keeping the par 5 gives the guy an opportunity at a risk-reward-type shot.”
The cut arrives
Only 10 former major winners were in attendance at the AT&T National, and not all of them will be around for the weekend.
Masters champion Trevor Immelman (144) was one of the most notable names to miss the cut of 143 (3 over). Former Masters winner Mike Weir (148) also won’t be around for the final two days.
Notah Begay III, who opened with a 67 he admitted Thursday surprised himself, shot 77 to finish at 144.
Drew Weaver, who won the British Amateur in 2007 and will be a senior at Virginia Tech next year, also missed the cut at 146.
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