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NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. -- The AT&T National awarded its latest trophy to the best player on the 2011 PGA TOUR as of now. That is not opinion. It is fact.
The 2011 AT&T National came down to a back-nine duel on Sunday between the two highest-ranked players in the field. American Nick Watney posted a bogey-free round of 4-under-par 66 at Aronimink Golf Club to finish at 13-under-par 267 (70-69-62-66) and earn his fourth PGA Tour triumph with a two-stroke victory over K.J. Choi.
Watney's 13-under 267 tied Tiger Woods for the lowest overall score in AT&T National history, and he set a new tournament record for the lowest score over the final 36 holes (62-66-128), besting the old record by two strokes. Watney, 30, earned a $1,116,000 winner's check and 500 FedExCup points, and became the fifth champion of the AT&T National, joining Justin Rose, Woods, Anthony Kim and Choi, the event's inaugural champion in 2007.
Watney, ranked No. 15 in the world, and Choi (11-under-par 269; 69-64-69-67) entered Sunday's final round knowing a win would catapult him to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings and pull him alongside Mark Wilson and Bubba Watson as the PGA Tour's only double-winners in 2011. In fact, Watney and Choi are now Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the FedExCup chase and on the PGA Tour money list.
Watney vaulted himself into tournament contention with a course-record 8-under 62 at Aronimink in Saturday's third round, matching the AT&T National's overall 18-hole record. Watney, who won the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral in March, garnered his eighth top-nine finish in 14 events this year.
Ranked No. 16 in the world and having won the biggest of his eight PGA Tour titles at THE PLAYERS Championship in May, Choi pulled within one stroke of Watney with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 11 and 12 to get to 11-under. He then tied Watney for the lead at 12-under with another birdie at No. 14.
However, Choi double-bogeyed the par-4 15th hole to restore Watney's advantage to two strokes with three holes to play. Choi made birdie at No. 16 to cut his deficit momentarily to a stroke, but Watney followed with his only birdie of the back nine to reach 13-under.
Watney and Rickie Fowler began the final round tied for the lead, but Fowler, seeking his first PGA Tour win, stumbled early Sunday. He played the first four holes in 3-over-par -- while Watney birdied No. 2 and No. 5 -- and didn't record his first birdie until the 11th hole. Fowler shot a 4-over-par 74 and finished tied for 13th place at 5-under 275.
Adam Scott, Jeff Overton and Charles Howell III tied for third place at 9-under-par 271.
Australian Robert Allenby recorded the fourth hole-in-one in AT&T National history Sunday at the par-3, 194-yard 14th hole. Allenby shot a final-round 5-under 65 to finish the tournament in a tie for sixth place at 8-under 272. The other aces in AT&T National history belong to Nathan Green (2010), Corey Pavin (2008) and Kevin Stadler (2007).
Rose, last year's AT&T National winner, followed up Saturday's 5-under 65 with a 1-under 69 to finish in a tie for 15th at 4-under 276.