AT&T National 2012: Ranking Top Contenders at Congressional Country Club

Tiger Woods has a chance to redeem himself by winning the 2012 AT&T National after blowing up at the Olympic Club in this year's U.S. Open.

He's not the only big-time player in the field this weekend at Congressional Country Club, though, as there are a few others who are more than capable of winning this prestigious event.

Congressional is a long, grueling course that favors the accurate and the bold. It's playing at 7,529 yards this year, according to PGATour.com, and short hitters will have a hard time competing unless their putters are on fire.

With that in mind, I am going to rank the top contenders as I see them heading into this weekend.

5. Adam Scott

Scott is a player that always seems to show up on the leaderboard at big events. He tied for eighth place at this year's Masters, tied for third at the Tavistock Cup and finished in a tie for 15th place at the U.S. Open. 

He is a strong player all-around who is one of the best on tour at taking advantage of par-fives—something that's invaluable on a long course like Congressional. Scott's biggest weakness is that he can struggle sometimes with his putter. So if he's hot on the greens this weekend, he has a good chance to win.

4. Dustin Johnson

Johnson just needs to keep the ball in the fairway off the tee. His exceptional length makes him a contender in any event, as long as his accuracy is on point.

Johnson is coming off of a terrible performance at the Olympic Club, but he's far from the only one who suffered that fate. He has already won this year, at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, and he finished in the top 10 in three other tournaments. 

He's either really on or he's really off, and it's always fun to see which Johnson shows up on Thursdays.

3. Jim Furyk

How agonizing was it to watch Furyk crumble down the back stretch at the Olympic Club?

For my part, it was a brutally poignant moment, as I'm sure it was for him. 

Furyk is still one of the best golfers on the planet, though, and his consistent effort week-in and week-out is something I admire. He will be in it until the end, though I fear he'll fall short once again.

2. Hunter Mahan

Don't forget about Mahan. He's been quiet lately after starting out the year with a bang, but that's just the way golf goes. 

He is still a top-tier golfer who can light up the scoreboard with birdies on any given day, and he is one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA Tour.

Mahan did well in his last tournament, finishing the Travelers championship in a tie for 11th place after shooting an incredible final-round 61.

1. Tiger Woods

Woods has the game and the mental capacity to become elite once again. It's only a matter of time. 

He was brilliant for two rounds at the Olympic Club, but his game crumbled to dust when the pressure mounted over the weekend. 

Still, Woods is only one of three golfers to have won twice on the PGA Tour so far this year, and his game is continually improving. He will have something to say about this tournament, one way or another, and as far as I'm concerned he's the favorite to win.

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