Choi Fires Record-Tying 64; We Get Picture of the Tank, Other Patriotic Scenes

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2011 Players Champion K.J. Choi tied the Aronimink Golf Club course record with a -6, 64 Friday morning. The 41-year-old South Korean matched the mark set by defending champion Justin Rose in second round of last year's tournament. Choi, winner of the 2007 AT&T National at Congressional, was unaware that he had tied the record until he reached the press room and was so notified. Speaking through a translator, Choi said that although he's "not really a records kind of guy," he is nonetheless "very pleased" with his accomplishment. He currently leads at a total -7, two shots clear of Justin Leonard, Chris Riley, Bo Van Pelt and Charlie Wi, the last of whom finished in fourth place at last year's AT&T.

Oh, and as Matt P. demanded last evening, we got some pretty sweet shots of that tank parked behind the ninth tee. All sorts of other patriotic pictures and goings on after the jump…
As the event is held over the July 4th weekend, AT&T National tournament reps have gone to great lengths to honor members of our military. Throughout the week, on-course volunteers have encouraged fans entering through the main gate to sign the tournament's "Salute to the Troops" wall. The idea was such a hit that the entire wall was covered after only three days. Wall number one has since been moved inside the media center to make way for wall number two, which is once again filling up with all kinds of drawings and well-wishes. My favorite section on the first wall is a intricately drawn re-creation of the famous "Flag Raising on Iwo Jima." Pictures of the wall and the drawing may be found below.

Amongst other tributes, Lockheed Martin is encouraging fans to send complimentary care packages to the troops. The packages are fully paid for by Lockheed and sent along with a personalized note from you, the sender.

And, for those members of the military actually in attendance, we have the 215-yard, par-3 17th. Behind the 17th tee sits the Lockheed Martin Military Pavilion (yes, Lockheed is everywhere), an exclusive chalet accessible only to members of the military. Admission is free with a military ID, granting our veterans, those still actively enlisted and their families the opportunity to watch the action from one the most gorgeous locales on the course.

It is next to this tent, by the way, that you will find the "massive freaking tank" we discussed yesterday. After realizing we came up short in not having pictures for our  post, we brought a camera along and snapped multiple shots of the metal monster.  They, like the pictures of the Salute the Troops wall and a full shot of the 17th hole, appear at the bottom of the post.

For one more pinch of red, white and blue given the patriotic aesthetic at 17, the tournament's traditionally yellow flagstick has been replaced by something a bit more obviously American. As was the case last year, the pros are taking aim at a single American flag, handled only by two members of the military who spend the day green side. After taking a look at the picture below, you'll understand why we included the 17th on our list of the best vantage points on the course.

You may also remember that we promised details on the tournament merchandise tent. So now that we've covered our tribute to the military, we can move on to something just as wonderfully American—capitalism!

Looking for an AT&T National polo shirt? Well you've come to the right place; so long, of course, as you have $73 on you.

Yes, the prices are absolutely absurd. Still, though the tent itself may be a legal exercise in highway robbery, the goods found within remain pretty cool. Cool enough, in fact, that the prices haven't stopped fans from flooding the tent and selling out its contents by the end of each day. By Sunday of last year's tournament, there was little to be had that wasn't already out of stock. Much of the same appears to the be the case in 2011. If you're looking for something on the more reasonable side, they've got a few faded Aronimink t-shirts that caught my eye at $25 each. Here's the bottom line on the tent—bring money and get there early. Otherwise, you may be out of luck.

Finishing up with a bit more on the golf, three notable names missed the cut Friday afternoon following a difficult Thursday and Friday. Jim Furyk (+8), Sean O'Hair (+7) and Camilo Villegas (+5) all failed to qualify for weekend play. Furyk and O'Hair are obviously disappointing cuts due to their local roots, while we wish Villegas would have hung around so we could see more of this.

Defending champion Justin Rose followed up an even-par start with a +2, 72 on Friday. He sits nine-shots behind the leader Choi and made the +4 cut line by just two.

We'll be back tomorrow with Round 3 coverage from the AT&T National. In the meantime, here's another clip from Caddyshack and pictures from the course as promised. Enjoy your weekends, guys.

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