Nick Watney and 7 More Golfers Who'll Be in the Hunt at the AT&T National

Since its inception four years ago, the AT&T National golf tournament has become an Independence Day weekend tradition. This weekend, a 120-man field, featuring at least 10 major championship winners, will tee off at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania for the second consecutive year.

With no Tiger Woods in the field, here is a list of some of the favorites to bring home the trophy.

Ryan Moore

Ryan Moore shot three great rounds of golf last week at the Travelers and finished just one shot short of a playoff with eventual winner Fredrik Jacobson. Moore's top-five finish was his third top five of the year.

In addition to his strong play last week, Moore also played well at Aronimink last year, as he finished in sole possession of second place. Look for Moore to have another strong performance this weekend.

Carl Pettersson

Last year at AT&T National, Carl Pettersson finished in sole position of sixth place, shooting five under par for the tournament. Had it not been for his final round 71, he would have likely given eventual-winner Justin Rose a run for his money.

That, coupled with the fact the Pettersson has shot eight straight rounds in the 60s makes him a favorite to win at Aronimink this weekend.

Sean O'Hair

The only reason Sean O'Hair is not my odds-on favorite to win this weekend is because he hasn't finished better than 16th this season, and that was at the Crowne Plaze Invitational at the Colonial.

That being said, O'Hair did shoot two-under at Aronimink last year, good enough for a T11 finish. This weekend could be the turning point in the 28-year-old O'Hair's 2011 season.

Hunter Mahan

Hunter Mahan, who currently sits No. 20 in the world and is No. 18 in FedExCup standings, already has seven top-10 finishes this season, including a second at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Mahan finished second to Tiger Woods in this event two years ago after shooting a final round 62, tying the course record with that score. Look for Mahan to be extremely competitive this weekend.

Adam Scott

Adam Scott, now in his ninth full season on the PGA TOUR, has won seven times, most notably at The Players in 2004, and notched 10 international wins as well.

Although this weekend marks only the second time that Scott has played in the AT&T National, he has proven he is capable of sinking the long putts it will take to win a tournament such as this. Scott has also shown a restored sense of self-confidence. That, in addition to the fact Scott is using Tiger Woods' caddy, Steve Williams, makes him a favorite to win.

Justin Rose

Justin Rose, this tournament's defending champion, shot a final round 70 to finish at 10-under and win the AT&T National by one stroke in 2010.

Although Rose missed the cut at both The Memorial and the US Open this year, he has shown he is capable of putting together four solid rounds of golf at Aronimink, which is why he is currently listed at a 30/1 favorite to win the event despite his recent mishaps. Rose will either be really good or really bad this weekend, as I expect him to finish either top five or miss the cut.

Bo Van Pelt

Bo Van Pelt has recorded four-straight Top-15 finishes and is currently sixth in total driving on tour. In addition to his strong play in recent weeks, Van Pelt's eighth-place finish at The Master's and third-place finish at the Colonial has put him on a lot of people's radars entering this weekend's tournament.

Last year, Van Pelt finished T11 at Aronimink, shooting two-under. Look for Van Pelt to have another strong finish this weekend and maybe even bring home the trophy.

Nick Watney

Nick Watney has become of the the best players on tour this year, as he started the year with five straight top-10 finishes and won his third title this year at Miami's WGC-Cadillac Championship, shooting a combined five-under to win by four strokes.

In addition to Watney's consistent play this season, his performance at Aronimink last year, a four-under, T7 finish, has made him the odds-on favorite to win this weekend's AT&T National.