This week: PGA Tour’s AT&T National, Thursday through Sunday, Aronimink Golf Club, Newton Park, Pa.

Stanley’s first-round score: 3-under-par 67.

Moore’s and Putnam’s first-round scores: 2-over 72.

Position: Stanley is tied for third, and Moore and Putnam are tied for 62nd – all behind co-leaders Hunter Haas and Adam Scott (66).

Recap: Stanley had gone 12 tournaments without opening with a round in the 60s – until Thursday. And after a double bogey at the eighth hole, the Bellarmine Prep product reeled off four back-nine birdies – starting with a 30-foot putt at the 10th hole. His last first round …

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Tacoma’s Michael Putnam will play in his fourth consecutive PGA Tour event – barely.

A first alternate when the day started, Putnam was added to the field at the AT&T National near Philadelphia.

He will play with Bill Lunde and Stuart Appleby the first two rounds, and tee off Thursday at 5:37 a.m. PDT.

Putnam has made the cut in his past five tournaments, including a tied-for-67th showing at last week’s Travelers Championship.

In the Congressional Country Club clubhouse a couple weeks ago, Puyallup’s Ryan Moore had just finished up as missed-cut outing at the U.S. Open.

When asked about his ball-striking issues, he was despondent – a very rare occurence these days, because Moore is usually one who has an answer for everything concerning golf, especially his own game.

The following week, Moore went 19-under 261 to finish second at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

What gives?

Moore got a grip on things – literally.

“Typical him,” said Troy Denton, one of Moore’s swing coaches based out of Dallas. “His swing is better than it’s ever been.”

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This week: PGA Tour’s AT&T National, Thursday through Sunday, Aronimink Golf Club, Newton Park, Pa.

World rankings: Moore is 37th; Stanley is 350th.

2011 earnings: Moore has $1.45 million (33rd on the PGA Tour), and Stanley has $392,573 (125th on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: One thing – good or bad – that Moore has known over his career is runner-up finishes, He finished second at last week’s Travelers Championship (19-under 261) after making bogey on the final hole to lose to Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson. The only time the Cascade Christian graduate has not posted a runner-up finish since …

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Sumner’s Brian Thornton shot a 6-over-par 78 on Monday to miss the cut at the PGA Professional National Championship at Hershey Country Club.

Thornton had 10 bogeys, and shot a first-nine 41 on the West Course.

Blaine’s Jeff Coston was the only Washington professional to make the cut.

Seattle’s Mike Premo generally considers himself an “average” player on par-3 golf holes.

He was a tad better Sunday.

Premo. a 7-handicap golfer out of Jefferson Park Golf Course, won the inaugural Washington State Par-3 Championships at Highlands Golf Course in north Tacoma.

Tied with Bellevue’s Adam Levy at 8-over-par 116 through 36 holes, Premo stuck his wedge tee shot on the 100-yard first hole to within 18 inches, and wrapped up the title in a one-hole playoff.

“I think that (tee) shot discouraged him – he flubbed his shot,” Premo said. “It was an easy par.”

The 62-year-old Premo …

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The guy who couldn’t win golf tournaments – he now seemingly can’t lose them.

Olympia’s Jarred Bossio made a near-miraculous par on the 16th hole, then finished up with two birdies to win the 81st Tacoma City Amateur at Tacoma Country and Golf Club.

The Capital High product closed with a 1-under-par 71 to overtake Californian Andrew Perez (73).

His 3-under 213 total was one stroke better than Californian Andrew Perez (73), who finished at 214. Seattle’s Sandy Vaughan (71) and Tacoma’s Kyle Pederson (73) tied for third at 216.

Olympia’s John Eisentrout (74) was in fifth alone at 218, and Lacey’s Jon McCaslin (76), the three-time Capitol City Amateur winner, ended up in fifth by himself at 219.

Defending champion Sean Packer (75), of Bonney Lake, tied for 11th at 222.

Bossio, who saw this same finishing order Thursday at the Washington State Amateur – he won, followed by Perez – had to pull out this win in a completely different manner. This time, he had to rally for it.

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This week: PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, Thursday through Sunday, TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn.

Moore’s fourth-round score: 7-under-par 63.

Putnam’s fourth-round score: 3-over 73.

Position: Moore (19-under 261) finished tied for second with John Rollins, and Putnam (3-under 277) tied for 67th – all behind winner Fredrik Jacobson (260). Stanley and Gonzales missed the cut early Saturday.

Recap: What a charge Moore put forth Sunday, only to fall short and record his sixth runner-up finish at a PGA Tour stop – and second one at this tournament (he was second in 2006 when it was the Buick Championship). The Cascade …

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