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While he didn't open with a Round 1 record setting 62 like Anthony Kim, Tiger Woods did open with an impressive 64, only to follow it up with an also impressive 66, and now, atop the leaderboard sits a very familiar face.  That's right, after the close of play in Round 2, Tiger Woods has a one-stroke lead in first place, and a two-stroke lead over yesterday's leader, Anthony Kim.  That's the good news for Tiger, the bad news is that Anthony Kim is only on his 4th hole of Round 2.  With how he's playing, ANYTHING could happen.

Tiger Wants To Win His Hosted Event

Tiger most certainly wants to take this tournament, as he's hosted it for three years, but has yet to crack the code and actually seal the deal with a victory.  With how he's both driving, and putting right now, he's in position to end up on top come Sunday, but with how Anthony Kim is striking the ball, there could be a bit of a fight for that trophy.  The bad news for both golfers is there's another golfer on the course that wants to stir things up quite a bit.

Rod Pampling On A Mission

While Rod Pampling hasn't won a single event on the PGA Tour since 2006, he's on a mission right now and is in the clubhouse in sole-possession of second place at -9.  While he shot an opening round 67, he followed it up today with 64 that included seven birdies and just one bogey and an amazingly low 26 putts on the round.  If he keeps putting, and playing like that the next two days, we might have an intense race for the finish line on Sunday morning.  When asked about the conditions, and his take on the course, here's what Pampling had to say:

"It's a classic course, you've got to think your way around it...You don't have to smash it way down there. You have to play shots."

Will Cut Line Stay at +2?

Classic, yes.  Also playing extremely soft right now, which could firm up later and make scoring a bit more difficult on Saturday and Sunday.  Nevertheless, we'll see what happens with Kim today, and just how low the projected cut line will fall...it's sitting at +2 right now...will it hold?

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What IS it these past two weeks with the PGA Tour and the absolute destruction of course and tournament records?!  First we see Kenny Perry set a brand new Travelers Championship record by shooting a 4-round 258, and now, only one full day into the AT&T National Tourney at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, the course record has been bested by a stroke and the tournament record by a full three strokes by young Anthony Kim.  Impressive?!  We certainly are inclined to say so.

Kim Sets Records

That's right, Anthony Kim blasted his way through his first round today to set a brand new tournament record.  Previously, the tournament record at the AT&T National had stood at 65, and with Kim's 62 he took care of it quite handily.  Also, the record at Congressional had previously stood at 63, which was an honor shared by Tom Pernice Jr. and Peter Londard...Kim took care of that as well, and what's more exciting, set a brand new career record for himself, as his previous career best round was a 63, which he notched in the first round of the 2007 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Can Kim Defend?

I suppose the fact that he's the defending champion here at this tournament is adding a bit of fuel to his competitive fire.  Here's what Kim had to say following his record breaking round:

"I love coming back to this course...I have a lot of good feelings here. the course fits my eye....I am getting to the point where I feel like I can win anytime I tee it up."

He must love the course, considering the fact that he hit "71 percent of his fairways, 71.4 percent of his greens in regulation and had a putting average of just over 1.5 putts per hole."  Despite the fact that Kim set records and is playing out of his head right now, he still only has a slim two-stroke lead and there are golfers on the course with half their round left to play that are only three strokes off.  Can he hold onto the Round 1 lead?  Time will tell.

It's Heating Up...Tune In!

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