Congressional Country Club is accustomed to powerful figures strolling its storied fairways. But this week, the powerful figures aren't congressmen or lobbyists, they are the best of the PGA TOUR. PGA Professional and Director of Golf John Lyberger took a moment out of his hectic schedule to talk to us about life at Congressional and hosting the first AT&T National.

PGA.com: John, can you tell us a little bit about your course? How will it play for the TOUR players?

Lyberger: Congressional is a championship course. I'd describe it as a U.S. Open-style course but obviously, this week, it's not set up for an Open, it's set up for a PGA TOUR event. This means it will have a set up more conducive for scoring, for great entertainment. The course is in superb shape so - weather permitting - I don't think the conditions will be too much of a factor. The rough will play around four inches, the fairways will be the standard width, there will be nothing narrowed for this tournament. I'd think that a score of 8-12 under would be at the top by the end of the week.

PGA.com: When I think of the Washington D.C. area, I think of politics and power and social standing. So how important is golf at one of the premier country clubs located so close to the nation's capital?

Lyberger: We have over 200 hundred members here with handicaps of eight or better. Golf is very important to this club, it's why this club exists. Even our members who may not be single-digit handicaps, they work hard on their game. There is only one type of membership at Congressional, there are no social members or tennis members or anything like that. Now don't get me wrong, there are many wonderful benefits of being a member here. But as incredible as the dining menu is, and for example, we may have the best crab cakes in the world, our membership is centered around the golf course. They take their golf very seriously. And it shows.

PGA.com: How does the club feel about being the host venue for the tournament hosted by the most recognized name in golf, if not all of sports?

Lyberger: When the opportunity was presented to us, the membership here had a vote. Well over 90% of our membership voted to host this event. We were not looking to host a TOUR event, we have been readying ourselves for many other important events including the 2011 U.S. Open. But when we were approached, our membership responded. And in reality, I'm not sure there are too many facilities in the world that could have pulled this off. But because our infrastructure, our personnel, and our facilities are so top-tier, we could put all the pieces in place in a relatively short period of time, and put together an event worthy of the name Tiger Woods. So of course, it's an honor to represent Tiger at his tournament, but we feel really good about how the course will represent itself as well.

PGA.com: What advice would you give a TOUR player if they came to you for some advice about playing Congressional?

Lyberger: Hit fairways. Above all else, put the ball in play. Be patient, hit greens in regulation, and do what you need to in order to outlast the field. If you get overly aggressive here, you can shoot yourself out of the tournament quickly.

PGA.com: As a group, who plays better golf at the course - Republicans or Democrats?

Lyberger: [laughter] Can I take the fifth? I'll just say they are equally competitive.