AT&T Classic

May 17 - 20, 2007
TPC at Sugarloaf
Duluth, GA
Par: 72 / Yardage: 7,293
Purse: $5.4 million with $972,000 going to the winner
Defending Champion: Phil Mickelson
(he won't be defending)

List of Champions & Scores

Results & Scores 2006 AT&T Classic

Box Score of 2006 AT&T Classic

Tournament facts:

Tournament information:

Course information:

The course was designed by Greg Norman, his first of more than two dozen courses across the United States. Sugarloaf opened in 1997 to much critical acclaim in its inaugural year. Most notably, it was ranked as one of the 10 Best New Courses by Golf Digest. Additionally, it is regularly ranked one of the Top 100 Modern Day Courses by Golf Week Magazine. The course itself is comprised of three separate 9-hole courses: The Stables, The Meadows, and The Pines. The AT&T Classic is played on the Stables and Meadows courses. Playing at 7,293 yards (36-36--72), The Stables/Meadows combination is the longest, most difficult 18-hole combination offered at Sugarloaf. The combination has a 75.4 Course Rating and a 146 Slope Rating from the Championship tees. The course has 64 bunkers and three lakes come into play on four holes on the back side. The fourth has a stream that runs down the left side. The average greens at SugarLoaf are 6,000 with the grasses consist of Bermuda (tees, fairway, rough) and Bent (greens).

For a more comprehensive look at the courses, look at this Course Overview done by PGA Tour.com

The Buzz:

Talking about Oakmont and the U.S. Open I attended media day on Monday and "tried" to play the course afterwards. What a gem it is but for a mere mortal like myself it's way to hard to play. The rough is not only long (six inches) but very lush, anything in it is a 50/50 proposition in just finding the ball. And once it's found hitting it out is no chore, even with a sand wedge just getting it back into the fairway.

Making it even tougher is the fact that the USGA is letting the rough grow. Some Oakmont members that I talked with said that in some respects with this growing in phase the course is more impossible now than the way it will play during Open week. Example is the fairways are at it's 22 to 28 yard width but there is only one cut of rough about six-feet wide before it goes into jungle rough. I have been assured by USGA officials that this will all be trimmed back the week before the Open and be more manageable.

As for the length of the course it will play about 7,230 to a par of 70. The change from past championship will be the ninth hole, which in past majors has played to a par 5 playing at 474. But with things a bit different the USGA will play it to a par 4 at 484 yards. Total yardage for the course is 59 yards longer than when Oakmont held the 2003 U.S. Amateur and 284 yards longer than the 1994 U.S. Open. As the way the course will be set up is has a course rating of 78.3 with a course rating of 150. Lastly I tried the 8th hole from the 288 yard marker, as people will tell you I hit the ball further than the average person does but on Monday my Sunday best with a bit of draw and run just made it to the green, good luck to all that have to play it during Open week.

Hard to believe that Phil Mickelson would not want to defend his AT&T title. Yes I can understand that he has played the last three weeks in a row and is tired. But he has such a fabulous record at Sugarloaf, in eight starts winning three times, two third place finishes and seven top-tens you may think he is crazy

Many players at Sugarloaf are saying the same thing as Mickelson's 260 total from last year is not even a target for this year. The next best 72 hole total at Sugarloaf is 268 as only four players have shot 270 and under in the ten years the tournament has been played at Sugarloaf.

Here are some things to look for this week:

Photo: © Stan Badz/WireImage The scene last year on the 18th hole when tournament leader Phil Mickelson hit his 2nd shot to the par 5 hole at TPC Sugarloaf.

If your looking for a perfect winner, this event is pretty elementary, just look at the winners of seven of the last ten BellSouth's that have been played at TPC at Sugarloaf. What does Scott McCarron, Tiger Woods, David Duval Ben Crane and Phil Mickelson have in common? They are all among the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. Yes that's the secret, hitting the ball long. Also look at some of the others that have had high finishes at Sugarloaf, Zach Johnson last year, Rich Beem and Brandt Jobe in 2005, Hank Kuehne in 1994, Phil Mickelson in 2002, Harrison Frazar in 2000, Stewart Cink and Rory Sabbatini in 1999, Steve Flesch in 1998 and Hal Sutton in 1997. Yes the course is changing, rough will be tougher this year than in past but still feel that driving it pays dividends at Sugarloaf.

• Key stat for the winner:
  Ball striking is also an importance, hitting greens is high on the list of those that have won. Three of the winners at Sugarloaf, including last year's champion Phil Mickelson led that category for the week.
• Players that make lot's of birdies rule at this event.
• Domination of the par 4s is important. As an example, Phil Mickelson last year played the par 5s in 9 under but the par 4s in 17 under. Five of the winners at Sugarloaf played the par 4s better than the par 5s.
• Size of the greens are 6,000 square feet. They have lots of roll and mounds to them so good lag putter and those that avoid three-putts do the best.
• With the change from March to May look for a lusher and greener Sugarloaf. With that the course will play even longer than previous years.
• Course architect Greg Norman has done some tweaks to some of the bunkers on the 10th, 12th, 13th and 17th holes.
  
• Yes 28 under won the tournament last year but look for a winning score close to half that.
  
• Five of the seven different champions of Sugarloaf have won a major championship.
  
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