Arjun Atwal sizzles on first day of 3M Open in Minnesota

By Rahul Banerji

Refreshed and obviously rejuvenated, Arjun Atwal followed on his Monay qualifying form to card a 6-under 65 on the opening day of the 3M Open at the TPC Twin Cities course in Blaine, Minnesota, on Thursday.

The round gave Atwal a share of fourth place on a day of low scores with American Scott Piercy leading the field on 9-under 62, two shots up on Canada’s Adam Hadwin and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.

Piercy birdied eight of his final 11 holes at the inaugural edition of the event.

Sitting alongside Atwal were Brian Harman, Sungjae Im, Patton Kizzire and Sam Saunders all on 6-under 65s.

On his way back

Atwal, 46, needed time away from golf to mend his back, for which he returned home to Kolkata. On Monday, the 46-year-old showed he was well and truly back with a 9-under round for first place in Monday’s qualifier.

Building on that, he hit swapped a birdie for a bogey on his outbound nine and then turned on the heat.

Atwal’s in-bound nine holes were studded with four birdies and a holed 130-yard third shot for eagle on the par-5 18^th hole that he hit over water guarding the green.

Slipping up

While Atwal was blazing away at the head of the field, Anirban Lahiri was in some strife further down the leader-board on a level-par 71 and two shots shy of the curt line that is projected to fall at 2-under par.

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Lahiri was 3-under at the turn having hit as many birdies and no dropped shots but it went all wrong on the back nine, on which he had two birdies, a bogie and two doubles that undid all the good work he had put in earlier.

Atwal’s progress is of more than passing interest as it is a repeat so far of his run at the 2010 Wyndham Championship. He came into that event also as a qualifier and went on to life the trophy.

Bit of history

Atwal was in fact the last Monday qualifier to win a PGA Tour title till Corey Connors did so at the Valero Texas Open this April, a gap of nine years.

Incidentally, Atwal’s Wyndham title remains the only PGA Tour title win by an Indian. This season, the former Asian no. 1 has made just four starts with one cut.

Bryson DeChambeau was in a group of nine on 5-under 66s while world no. 1 Brooks Koepka was in an even larger bunch on 4-under 67s.

Also read: Shubhankar is 5th, and youngest, Indian to win Asian Tour Order of Merit